Unseen

In my youth I felt like the white pegs on the board in the picture. Unseen. It was hard enough growing up as an African American, but much harder growing up under the label 'no color'. Which was sometimes what a light skinned Black is called by our people. Being light skinned made it easier to be accepted by the White teachers and White students and challenged (beat down, berated) by the (some)Black teachers and Black students. Sort of reverse racism and backhanded slaps.

 Racism/Prejudices are the hardest thing in the world to change. No matter what color you are you are sometimes Unseen. One of my visitors yesterday had this to say about my "T" post--

 "I generally feel a bit timid about being seen choosing "black" books -- as if black people would think I shouldn't be interested in them, because maybe they'd think I think they're a hobby or special interest or something."

Wow, unbelievable. *hangs head in shame* How awful we are to make a person have this kind of feeling. Makes me think of teenagers  hiding porn mags in a brown bag. Not that I've ever done it. But it seems like 'we' with our prejudices drive the world to feel as if holding a book from someone of the opposite color is something to be ashamed of and to keep under cover.

I must say, I'm not always drawn to all AA books. I haven't lived the 'Black Urban experiences in some of the books and I don't always want to read them. I'm not a Tyler Perry 'die hard' fan, though when nothing else is on I do watch it on TV. I (slap me if you must) don't like Beyonce's music, or clothing or acting and that's more to a representation kind of feeling. It just goes to show we are all individuals with our own tastes.

I just think we should be able to walk to the romance section  or  any section for that matter of the bookstore and see faces of color and not have to slither through the store to the AA section.

What we need to realize is, nothing changes without "U". As an adult I have come to know those invisible uncolored pegs we're not representing me, but surrounding me to show me the real me and saying 'You matter'. I have a rainbow of faces on my shelves. I stand in the book stores and I buy and read in color. No one stands unseen.

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