"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?"- Martin Luther King Jr.
"Hate can not drive out hate. Only love can do that." - Martin Luther King Jr.
All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem"- Martin Luther King Jr.
I felt the need to post twice in one day because the last quote of his has a little more meaning to me. I often find myself going through many days thinking that people don't really understand what they're saying. I know that I find myself hoping that people take heed to what I'm saying, but often I don't believe that it is as poignant as what MLK said to all of us.
I've been sitting here for the last hour watching Oprah. As always, whenever there is anything on that has anything to do with racism, I get upset. I've never understood what "the big deal" is. I've lived 30 years always and ONLY being attracted to black men. I have half black children. I have friends that are mixes of other races, not just black and white. I know that people in general have come a long way. But racism isn't just about black and white. There are many people in this world that are mixes of different races. For lack of a better example, people make fun of Tiger Woods all the time, but he is a mix of different races. Not just black and white.
I found myself in tears at a couple points of Oprah's episode. It isn't that I take these things personally. I think back to the day that I had to tell my mom in sixth grade that a mexican guy asked me out. Her response to me is that she didn't care, that race didn't matter. I was relieved. Not because I really like this person, but because I knew at that moment that my mom would support me, no matter what. There was a lot more to this person liking me that doesn't need to be discussed. The point is this... I knew at that moment that the person I've always depended on to make decisions for me, was allowing me to make my own decisions. She was allowing me to decided whether or not this person was worthy of me- regardless of his race.
I figured out shortly after that experience, that I was also attracted to black men. My first black boyfriend is the cousin of my daughters father! Looking back over the years, I don't think that I've shorted myself. I've dated most races. I've just come to the realization that I prefer black men.
What makes me upset about race is this... I realize that I was lucky with the parents that I have. I know their parents didn't and maybe still don't hold the same values that they do about race, but how can we possibly be at the year, we as a people are, and still have people that think that its okay to have the 'race' discussion. I hate to break it to all of you but not only are there black people, but there are 'mulatto' and other mixes of races happening, what are you gonna do when just pure white are the minority? Man, I can't wait for those days....
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