Posted by Dave Kaisler on 7/21/2008, 6:12 am, in reply to "Thanks for your invite to “stand and fight”."
70.161.106.22
Good Morning Rasheedah,
First of all, I want to say Thank you for coming back on the forum. By coming back makes me think and feel that you do indeed have great strength of character and, if it means anything to you, I am very proud of you. I promise that if you do continue to come back here, I will not carve you up like some sort of lab rat. I don't know which dictionaries you're talking about but, it sounds to me like maybe you and I ought to throw these books in a pile and burn them. If you bring the matches, I'll bring the gas, then we should write ourselves a new dictionary. Deal?
The people you spoke of who put you down for trying to be white, criticizing the length of your hair and mentioning your back, are these actual friends of yours? If so, sounds like they aren't worthy of your respect and friendship. I think you deserve better. If I may give some old guy, friendly advice, join a civic organization, attend church, Rock Church is a good one, volunteer as a docent(guide) at Nauticus, the Chrysler Museum, the Portsmouth Museums. I know it will take some effort but, if you surround yourself with reasonably happy, positive people, it will rub off on you. And, take it from one who knows, happy energy weighs a hell of a lot less than negative energy.
It's kind of a coincidence you mentioned BET. I have several young women of color who I work with who are your age and a couple of years older that despise the BET. And, believe it or not, I know exactly what you're talking about. I also have a young guy that's about 28 who has his own DJ biz on the side and, almost every weekend when I go into work to take over for him he has BET on our cable monitoring system. I always ask him why he keeps watching that crap.
But, yeah seriously, they put on these ignorant "Bro's in da hood, gettin da wax over on da sistas wid da bodacious junk in da trunk," kind of movies. I don't blame you for being pissed. Tell you what girl, more old white guy friendly advice, Get up with your girls and write letters of protest to BET for portraying AMERICAN WOMEN OF COLOR in such a demeaning and, degrading manner. Better yet, complain to their advertisers, hit em in the wallet, that will get their attention. Don't settle for second best.
You are right in that I will never be able to know what it is to be black and, from your last posting you do appear to be lost and in a lot of pain. And, I am, as a human being, very sorry. You also said you are tired. I can relate to that one. But, as with everything, if you do nothing to right a wrong or work for what you want, then you have yourself as at least partially to blame. You will find just from living day after day, in this world, the wisdom to pace yourself, how to chose the right battles at the right time, and that the really important thing is to just try and be yourself, do what you think is right, honest, decent, hang tight with people who have the same good moral values as yourself, ignore people who put you down and, I think you will have a happy, healthy and, prosperous life. I sure hope you do.
So, it's nice to meet you Rasheedah. I hope you have a good day, good week and, if you do decide to come back to the forum, I promise I will listen to whatever you have to say.
Respectfully,
Dave
Message Thread:
« Back to thread