Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud!

Published on June 13, 2005 By foreverserenity In Blogging

I wanted to say more while responding to Little Whip’s blog entitled “Calling All Negroes”. Link She made some good and valid points, and the comments were pretty interesting and some cleverly funny!

As someone mentioned in their comments on her blog, (not a quote verbatim), why can’t we (all) be looked on as just a human being?

I agree, after all, I'm just a human being, a woman of color, of Caribbean birth (born in Jamaica), and a Naturalized citizen of the good old US of A. Need I go into my ancestry? Ok, I’m a descendant of the Maroons of Jamaica (who by the way were said to be from Africa, but they are Jamaicans first), I’m also of English descent, with a little bit of other "types" thrown in. So what am I?

Who cares! If it makes anyone feel comfortable to categorize and put me in a box, knock yourself out it doesn't really matter to me.

Let me state however, for the “PC” (as Little Whip says) of it, that I’m ever so grateful to all those (and even more for the “PC” of it) African Americans who have made strides in our history for me to live my life with the freedom I do. For the fact that I can drink from any water fountain I want and use any bathroom at any gas station when I need to (at least I hope I still can); for all the wrongs that they have righted and all the causes they have stood up for, I am one grateful, happy black woman! Thank you also to my mighty ancestors from the Island of Jamaica who fought for our freedom to be an independent country. Let it never be said that I’m ungrateful.

But if it makes others like me typecast me because I "sound white" and horror of horrors "you don't even sound Jamaican, I would never have guessed!", "Speak Jamaican for me". Yikes, I've heard it all. I am what I am, what I am. Should I walk around with a label on my back or on my chest? No way.

It just gets really tiresome when you're being judged because you're the color you are and not the person you are. It's time that we get over ourselves and stop typecasting. Do you want to hear a recent story of a lovely telephone conversation I had with a client recently? Oh it was very nice, very proper. When she saw me in person, wow, if I had a camera to snap the expression, LOL! The horror, I'm black! Now if I was to take this personally I would have a big chip on my shoulder!

Life is too short. Take me or leave me, I don't really care. But I do care enough because my children are going out in this world everyday, and they are even more mixed up than I am, they have to identify legally with what I am on the legalized forms that have the “African American” terminology and just because their mom is black (this rule in itself is outdated!) they’re often thrown into that category. Sometimes I just don't respond and other times I check all the boxes, just to get their goat!

Although there are still so many mountains to climb just because we’re so hang up on the color of someone’s skin. A person can’t just be a person; can’t just be talented without it being noted that they are Black. Why can’t it be, “that man who is very talented”; or that woman who is the president of the university”; or “that woman who was crowned Miss USA”; or that actor who was so good in that movie”?

So to end this long tirade, “Hi, I'm Donna, I like music, art, movies, theatre, museum-hopping, reading, watching television, spending time with my kids, meeting people, blogging, I'm a democrat (proudly so and that's my choice), going to the beach, partying, hiking, just plain having fun and enjoying life. I'm so varied in my moods and my opinions, not to mention my taste. Why oh why does it matter if I refer to myself as black, can't we just all get along?

Comments (Page 1)

foreverserenity

on Jun 13, 2005

Lalalalala.....

MasonM

on Jun 13, 2005

Excellent, and here here!

I prefer human, human being, person, or human bean. While I'm not black, I do sometimes like to mess with people on those stupid forms that ask about your race (like it matters). Being both Irish decent and Apache decent, I often will check both the white box and the "Native American" (I hate that term) box.

I actually had an HR lady once demand that I choose only one of them, telling me I couldn't be both. I told her somebody should have warned my grandparents about that long ago, too late now. While the government considers me "Native American", I look more Irish than Apache so I just refer to myself as white. It has to do with my appearance, not who I am.

Great article.

foreverserenity

on Jun 13, 2005

actually had an HR lady once demand that I choose only one of them, telling me I couldn't be both. I told her somebody should have warned my grandparents about that long ago, too late now.

Did she wear glasses and had a severe hair do? LOL!

It has to do with my appearance, not who I am.

Sometimes it is important but why should it be noted all of the time? Thanks on the great article comment!

Moderateman

on Jun 13, 2005

amen sista! preach the gospell.

Manopeace

on Jun 13, 2005

We is who we is!

MasonM

on Jun 13, 2005

Did she wear glasses and had a severe hair do? LOL!

Actually she was a well educated and I may add very attractive black lady. The fact that she was black is only important for the fact that she couldn't seem to understand why I chose not to select only one category. I would think she of all people would "get the point".

Some folks take their jobs way too seriously

shadesofgrey

on Jun 13, 2005

great article, foreverserenity!

foreverserenity

on Jun 13, 2005

amen sista! preach the gospell.

LOL! Elie, u r funny!

We is who we is!

I'll say!

Some folks take their jobs way too seriously

You're right, way too seriously. And it's amusing that she was black too!

great article, foreverserenity!

Thanks Shades!

island_gurl12

on Jun 13, 2005

I havent read Little Whip's article yet, but i'm glad you've posted this. I'm not too bothered with my color of skin. I used to when I lived in other countries, but since living in the Pacific i'm quite content, not that no one cares, but it just doesnt bother them

Dont know why people like to put a label on someone just because of their skin color... I guess there have been just too many "studies" on population which have led to a generalization when you state your age, sex and your skin color. I guess we all like to think that other people are predictable if they fit the description of a group. Maybe because we dont know our ownselves we like to think we "know" the others and it can be reassuring.

But then again if we keep worrying about everybody else, when do we care about ourselves?

Okay, this is getting a bit philosophical now! lol!

Great article serenity

Manopeace

on Jun 13, 2005

Dont know why people like to put a label on someone just because of their skin color

because they are ignorant racists! Where I live we call people by their name.

Texas Wahine

on Jun 13, 2005

Excellent article, ForeverSerenity!

Other than when being merely descriptive

This is really the only time this comes up for me. Example, "Hey Adrian, I was talking to Tina the other day and I found out her husband is one of the instructors at PLDC." "Really? Who's Tina?" "She's the cute black lady right across the street. Terron's mom. Her husband's the tall guy. Sgt. Harrell."

(hehe...funny little note...when I met him he told me the best way to remember him was that he was the "sexy black man" on the street.)

It's not meant in any disrespectful way, just a descriptive term like chubby or tall or blonde. In fact, most of my black friends or acquaintances have at one time or another referred to themselves as black.

I could imagine Tina having the same conversation with her husband. "I talked to Brandie today and she said that Adrian would be going to PLDC this summer." "Who's Brandie?" "You know, the chubby white lady across the street. They have the two boys."

Other than instances where it might be important to list distinguishing traits to identify someone, the black v. African-American v. colored v. whatever else simply doesn't come up for me. It's not necessary to label or categorize people based on their race.

And I do feel that the term Negro is disrespectful and derogatory, though, and it's not a term I use.

Shovelheat

on Jun 13, 2005

Very, very nice and well written. Color me impressed...

foreverserenity

on Jun 14, 2005

guess we all like to think that other people are predictable if they fit the description of a group. Maybe because we dont know our ownselves we like to think we "know" the others and it can be reassuring.

An insightful comment IG.

Where I live we call people by their name.

I think this goes for a lot of people Mano. It's just the media and the government legalities that labels everyone! Sometimes it's necessary, other times totally unecessary!

dark skinned data processors so rare that they need their own organization to find each other

I never knew that! You learn something new everyday,

Good article, though, it was nice to hear from a black person who DOESNT qualify for the "African-American" label, and to hear why she'd prefer the term 'black' when such a term is needed at all.

Thanks Whip! You inspired me! Ha, ha.....

Excellent article, ForeverSerenity!

Thanks Tex!

"Hey Adrian, I was talking to Tina the other day and I found out her husband is one of the instructors at PLDC." "Really? Who's Tina?" "She's the cute black lady right across the street. Terron's mom. Her husband's the tall guy. Sgt. Harrell."(hehe...funny little note...when I met him he told me the best way to remember him was that he was the "sexy black man" on the street.)

Yes, sometimes in a case like that, it's ok and nothing wrong with that. Afterall, there are so many people with red hair, or blonde, or brunette, or fat or skinny living in the neighborhoods! But you chubby.....no way!

And I do feel that the term Negro is disrespectful and derogatory, though, and it's not a term I use.

It's not a term that I like or use myself it brings back too many unwelcome visions of what this world used to be like. However in a scientific kind of way if one has to really denotate, I guess I can see using it.

Very, very nice and well written. Color me impressed...

Thanks Shovel! Color yourself welcome!!

Dr Guy

on Jun 14, 2005

I had to laugh at the not sounding Jamican. When I started college, my roommate was introducing me to his friends and telling them I was just off the plane from Germany (I was a military brat). One of them called me a liar cause I did not sound German (completely ignoring the fact that most Germans speaking english sound British anyway).

Thanks for the short bio! I hope we get to hear more about you.

foreverserenity

on Jun 14, 2005

had to laugh at the not sounding Jamican. When I started college, my roommate was introducing me to his friends and telling them I was just off the plane from Germany (I was a military brat).

Hee, hee... I guess it happens all over doesn't it! I sometimes sound British too, not deliberately, it just happens!

Thanks for the short bio! I hope we get to hear more about you.

It is sort of a bio isn't it,

! I had to get into the story of me a little bit to say what I wanted to say. Thanks Doc!

Other than when being merely descriptive, I think it's the "black community" that notes it far more often than others do.

You know Whip, looking back at your comment, you have a point. It seems that for it (color) not to be such a big issue all the time, it will also take a giant step for the black community to make a difference in the way they feel about color too. Even amongst themselves color is an issue, i.e., dark skinned, light skinned, toffee color etc. This just doesn't only happen in the black community too, it also happens in the hispanic or latino community too.

They're also pretty self-concious about being dark-skinned or light-skinned. I heard a co-worker of a friend got highly offended when her son was referred to as black by someone who didn't know that he was hispanic. Her son did get into a fight about it and got suspended. Mind you, they're not light-skinned, hence the confusion. So it will take a lot of giant steps on both sides of the equation. And by both sides, I mean everyone in this good country of ours, perhaps even the world, to get beyond what color someone is. I can understand about someone's ethnicity being discussed and asked about. As far as I can see, people in general enjoy discussing what their ethnicity is - by ethnicity I mean their cultural heritage. (hopefully I used the word in the right context!) And that's an entirely different thing.

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