Historically and culturally, Blacks in America have always known that we had to be twice better to even be considered half as good as our white counterparts/peers.
The stereotypes about the lack of intelligence in maths, sciences and the arts among African-descendants pervades this country and the world.
This is why we still celebrate and acknowledge all our "FIRSTS" in any and every field or area that has historically been white-dominated. (And, unfortunately, too many of us continue to claim those who don't claim US.)
This is why we have "Black History Month" and "Black Studies" in colleges/universities.
This is why we hear white commentators make statements like, "He's very articulate" when speaking of a Black man's speech/vocabulary.
So, for any Black family or bi-racial family raising their children NOT to see skin color in themselves or others when the rest of the world certainly sees THEIRS is beyond me.
Tiger Woods was also raised this way. According to him, he acknowledges all of his racial make-up: Caucasian/Black/and Asian. So, he is "Cablasian." --- But, back when he first won the Masters Tournament, all Fuzzy Zoeller saw was BLACK when he said, "..
tell him not to serve fried chicken or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve." as the menu for the traditional dinner set by the winner.
I don't agree that it benefits a Black child to go into the world with "rose-colored glasses on" or "blind-folded" about race.
I also don't like it when White people say, "
Well, I don't see your skin color."
This always trips me out to hear them say this like we're supposed to be happy about it, grab them and say, "
THANK YOU so much for saying that!" (smh)
This is how white people divest themselves of their history in this country and the world, oppressing other Peoples.... This is how they convince themselves that we now live in a "post-racial society."...This is why they say things like, "
Well, I didn't have anything to do with slavery. My grandparents/great-grandparents didn't own any slaves."
This is a distortion of the "I Have A Dream" speech.
In this speech, MLK was talking about slavery and Jim Crow and how our SKIN COLOR contributed to how we were treated and viewed in this country. And all that history is a part of us and who we are, all tied up and in the very pores of our SKIN COLOR.
So, if white folks don't see my skin color, then you don't see ME!
My "skin color" is a part of who and what I am; a part of my family's history, struggles, sacrifices and pains; and all that makes up ME as the Black woman I am.
So, when a Black man who identifies himself as Black and with/within the Black Experience wants a woman who can identify with his story, his life, his history, and his struggles/challenges, then he gets a BLACK WOMAN.
But, a Black man who wants to separate himself and divest himself of his "Black-ness" and align himself with/within White society, then he gets a WHITE WOMAN who "doesn't see his skin color."
When I see, other races, Native Indians, East Indians or Asians, I see their SKIN COLOR and the histories behind them and how their SKIN COLORS have been under the yoke of white supremacy as mine has.
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