Racism Within the Race


This book is about recognizing who you are. As an African-American, do you know who you are or what you are? You are a proud and strong African-American or black (whichever you prefer) men and women. Some may still prefer to be called color or Negro, whichever you prefer. In this day and age we are called African-American, or black. Years ago we were called black or Negro.

In the early sixties it was insulting to be called black. But in the late nineteen sixties we were wearing our African clothing, our African head-dress. Too most people the Negro and colored phrases were dropped, black was most definitely in, and that's what most of us wanted to be called by other races.

Still today, some of the southern states and rural areas still call us coloreds or Negroes. While these phrases are insulting to most young and middle-aged African-Americans, there are older African-Americans that would prefer to be called colored or Negro. To be called black is insulting to them.

Then there are those "African-Americans or blacks" that are ashamed of being called African-Americans. If you ask them they will tell you they are not ashamed to be African-Americans. They say they would rather be called by their name than to be called a race.

I think that is all right when you are being referred to as an individual person, but when you're referred to as a member of a race it's a different story. Who are you, what race would you prefer to be called?

It sounds to me if you cannot be the race you would prefer to be then you don't' want to be called or belong to any race. So you just want to be called by your name and nothing else.

It seems like you are so ashamed of the African-American race that you would rather be called anything other than black or African-American.

I cannot see why you can't be the strong, proud person, black male or female that God made you. I wonder if all of our African ancestors had denied their heritage and culture, what would the black race be called today?

Even if they all had denied their race, I don't believe it would have made a difference in the way they were treated. After all it wasn't the title of the race, it was the color of their skin and the straightness of their hair that mattered. They were referred to as nobodies, less than dogs or any animal.

In the late fifties and early sixties, the school I attended was all colored, as it was called back in those days. Even then I could see some prejudice within the race. Some of the teachers seemed to have a special preference for the lighter skinned students.

Like in the early sixties my second oldest brother and I were close as brothers could be. He was light skinned and I was a darker skinned. We both had natural curly hair, and we didn't get it cut as often as some of the other kids did. So our hair would grow into what were called Afros.

The school we attended was going on a basketball trip on Friday evening. We were going about a hundred miles or more away and I really wanted to go. The coach told me if I didn't get my hair cut I wouldn't get to go. I told him my daddy's hair clippers had broken and he didn't have anything to cut my hair with. He told me that wasn't his problem.

I even thought my brother and a few other guys on the team had hair as long as mine and he never said anything to them. I never knew why he picked on me and did not let me go on that basketball trip until one day I overheard him tell someone that he couldn't stand one of the other students and I finally realized this must be the way he feels about me.

Over the past few years I have seen African-Americans on television talk shows and confess to disowning and even hating their African-American race. Some made excuses like they were hurt in relationships with another African-American. Some said African-American robbers had repeatedly robbed them. Some were shot or an African-American shooter had killed a loved one.

Many blacks have been hurt in some way or another by other blacks, but they don't just start hating or disowning their race because of it.

One day I was riding on a city public bus, I overheard a couple of black guys talking. They were talking about black women. One guy said, "He couldn't stand black women. They were bossy and the only thing they wanted out of a man were sex and money." The other guy said, "That's the reason I only date white women. I don't date Orientals, Mexicans or black women, only white women.

I felt like this was an insult to all women, not because he only dated white women but because of what he thought of other women and the contempt he had for his own race of women. How could he even begin to care about any other race of women?

I have noticed over the years that there is some African-American when they meet you one of the first things they notice is your skin color. They notice if you are light or dark skinned. If the person is light skinned, they will comment on how nice he or she looks. If the person is dark skinned, they will comment on how black he or she may be. I know this to be true because I have heard some of my relatives make these comments.