This is Black History month.
Black History month, also known as the National African American History Month, is supposed to be a celebration of achievements by black Americans and supposed to recognize the central role African Americans played U.S History.
Every year, I feel like we stray away from the true meaning. We are supposed to be acknowledging the African American figures who have made our great country great. Instead, people look at this month as a reason to divide and hate. Oppressors hate and feel superior. The oppressed feel anger for being oppressed. Neither groups are trying to understand each other’s position.
There are white people who think that all black people are lazy, thugs, out to harm others, etc. On the other hand, there are black people who may see a biracial couple and hate that each race didn’t stay with their own race. Why can’t I be a black person who has multiple degrees and is financially independent (true story)? Why is not a problem in your eyes that love should not span across race (true story)?
Racism, to me, is a ridiculously ignorant notion floating around the world. It’s a serious topic but racist people are laughable. Think about it. A person hating/fearing/against another person because of race. One person of one race walks up to another person of a different race and before even speaking, feel hate. We are all individuals; no two people alike. Race is NOTHING but an unchangeable fact in someone’s DNA. Quite frankly, no matter what a person looks like, I guarantee there are common detectors in each of our DNA that makes us more the same than different. Race can determine the cultural references you learn as you grow up. But race is not who a person is.
There is so much ignorance floating around. People keeping with the traditions of our broken ancestors and not moving forward. There is no reason to hate anyone. Hate is one of the strongest learned emotions that creates blindness in people and is felt by lazy and thoughtless people. Hateful people are blind to the greatness of the world and missed opportunities. If you are going to dislike someone (I disagree with hate), dislike them because of a real reason: Personalities don’t mesh well; they are inconsiderate; they drink and drive. I think everyone has a reason to be disliked but we should not dislike them if we don’t know their story. We all have circumstances that bring us to present day; some circumstances are better than others and it’s unfair to judge someone based upon their interaction with life.
We should change our ways of thinking and try love on for size. Love is another strong emotion that creates blindness in people but in the case of Love, we should want to be blind. People who choose love look past the faults of others. It’s not that they do not see them. They acknowledge the faults and respect that everything happens for a reason and faults do not make an individual. It’s difficult to love everyone. Not everyone is respectful of others and therefore make it almost impossible to love. But if we all made the effort to be positive and love each other unconditionally, our world would be a greater place.
Eliminating racism and the need to have specific time periods to acknowledge groups for their great accomplishments is part of a higher level of thinking. Like in Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote: “Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.” We need to step up and be of great mind and discover new ways of living because hate and anger builds walls while love frees us all. Think about it and lead change.
Look Within 