Black

                                                                                         

Dedicated to my sistah friend, T. Hawkins. T, this past summer you opened up and shared your heart breaking story with me while we stood in the bowels of your driveway on that hot summer day. As you spoke, I noticed you periodically held back tears of understandable sorrow. I began to experience how you must have felt having to live through your unfair judgment. I'm sure you never thought I'd pen this piece did you? Contrary to popular belief, I do pay attention! This is one woman's meager attempt at trying to change at least one person's views while we live in this mean old world of ours. I felt your pain—and made it mine! Wish me luck my old friend.!!

Recently, I had the pleasure of having a conversation with a long-time friend of mine who graciously shared with me some of the nonsensical abuse she was forced to suffer while growing up as a result of being born dark-skinned. Or real "black" as most would define her, African Americans included.

Tell me. Why has the color "black" been associated with malevolence and wickedness? How is one to ingest being discriminated against not only by those of other ethnic groups but by your own kind? Being ridiculed just because you were born a shade or two darker than someone else is preposterous!! I can't even imagine having to endure such.

Al Sharpton can you help a sistah out on this one? And where on earth is Jessie Jackson when one needs him? Some body plaheeeze offer some resolution on this one cause I'm about to loose control!!!! Oh me oh my and Lawd have mercy!!

Now I've never been one to talk or even remotely discuss the "color" issue that may or may not exist in America, but I just had to make a meager attempt at "giving voice" on this one.

First let's see some variations of the word "black" that will undoubtedly paint a pessimistic illustration in your mind, shall we?

Everyone and their mama knows black always represented death. The ancient Egyptians and Romans used black for mourning, as do most Europeans and Americans today. Go to a wake or funeral. Tell me you don't see most of the mourners ornamented in black. The "Black shirts" were the security troops in Hitler's German army, also known as the S.S. Black humor is considered morbid or unhealthy and gloomy humor. Most people refer to a "Black hearted" person as evil. There's a blacklist, blackguard, black lung, blackmail, black-market, black sheep and the new favorite amongst African Americans today. Blacking out. (This is what usually happens when an African American gets really angry and verbally mouth off). I'm sure you've gotten my point thus far right?

Where is the thread that refers to the word "black" reversing it from a negative to a positive? I'm sure there must be one good definition of "black" out there somewhere. One positive word to add?

Well whaddaya know? "Hush your mouth! Black" can imply elegance! Who knew? If a business is "in the black," isn't that business making mucho dinero (much money)? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't "black" normally associated with sophistication and elegance? Such as a "black tie" event. That's still a Formal occasion right? Is that not a good affair regardless that the attire is "black"? A "black" belt in karate identifies an expert. I'm on a roll now so watch out! Black is beautiful! Tell me 'bout "black gold", "jet black sand", or a chic "black tie". Shoot, when I was growing up I was raised to believe "the blacker the berry births the sweetest juice" or, "once you go black ya never go back." (And NO I'm not gonna even elaborate further on the latter!!!).

Black also stands for virtues of constancy, prudence and wisdom. It also has positive meanings of purity, binding, repelling, remembrance and protection. "Black" means absorbing all light, without reflecting any of its rays. How many of us prefer to wear the color "black" because we believe it gives us a slimmer appearance? That's a good thing for most.

Despite the color blacks many negative associations, in Heraldry (Definition of Heraldry quoted from http://www.achievements.co.uk/articles/heraldry.html as follows):

Look around you: heraldry abounds in this country, beautifying cathedrals and churches, monuments of the famous and of country squires. . .. Find the family chapel and heraldry appears in carved and illuminated ceilings and on tombs; everywhere there will be symbolic icons of the ancestry, of pride in the family tree. . . In a library there will be heraldic book stamps in gold leaf on favorite family books).

I think it's time we stop allowing the beliefs of yesteryear to dictate how we live our lives and view others in the years to come. There are beautiful dark skinned black people in this world just as there are beautiful people of any other color. The color of our skin is not even a pathway to the depths of our soul!

We must learn to judge others based upon their own individual accord. If I'm nice to you, I expect reciprocity. I don’t care if you're yellow, red or the blackest black! You think if I met a man who treated me like a queen and kissed the ground I trampled on that I'd bias him just because he was a darker shade of "black" than I? Yeah, right-I'll let you tell it!

If that be the case then somebody had better put Morris Chestnut, Mekhi Phifer, Ving Rhimes, Tracey Chapman, Louis Armstrong, Richard Roundtree, the singer Joe, Wesley Snipes, Sidney Poitier, Tyreese and a host of other successful, socially accepted, gorgeous and yes, dark skinned black African Americans in the know.

In closing, I'm not sure it it's an unfortunate or not but we have no choice whom our parents or family members will be. Just like we cannot choose our hair or eye color. Nor can we decide the intensity of the color of our skin. So why should a person be forced to endure ridicule just because they are ……………"darker" than another?
Someone once told me, "Ignorance was bliss". Whatchu say?!!
You know what? I'm so angry I don’t know what to do. I can no longer think! I'm so ashamed of society right now!!
The last time I was checked on this, it still was 2007 right? Not 1960. When is a change gonna come? Humph.

What? Take your time. I'll wait.........

(c) 2007 by C.V. Harris. All Rights Reserved.