What is the solution for being judged for what I am not? Is there a character flaw in me, or am I being cast in a negative light because I am not understood? I stand in the shadow of prejudice. Knowing who I am does not translate into the image people think they see. Sometimes my words are controversial. Sometimes they are raw and tinged with anger. I am not angry at those around me; I attempt to bring to the fore the hidden truth that so many people do not recognize as truth, and that denial falls on every color of the skin on the planet. There has been oppression in many nations since men started believing they were superior to others. What I find discouraging is the silence that erupts when I write about the abuse of Black Americans. It is in our faces daily. There are examples of the brutality we face almost every day. There are too many senseless murders that go unpunished and perpetrated by law enforcement. Too many black men and black youth go to prison disproportionately compared to their counterparts on the streets for the same charges. The war on drugs was a code name for the war on Black America.
As a black man in America, if I do not help to speak our truth, who will? I am tired of seeing the news reflecting false narratives that we are all drug dealers, negligent fathers, or we are all criminals. The same negative issues that affect Black Americans affect every group of people in America. The country should acknowledge the strides we have made, not just as Black America, but as a united nation. It disturbs me when I hear references to “the black race.” We are one race. No matter the color of our skin, we are one race! As long as there are groups of people trying to make others feel inferior, there will be unrest. It should not matter what your ethnicity is; hate should not rule the day. Dr. King said he looked forward to the day when the color of skin would not determine how people judged, but decided by the content of their character. We still have a long way to go. I do not mean my words to offend, but if they do, then I would ask that you examine your heart. I, too, would like to live to see the day when my skin is not my judge and jury, that the content of my character will speak for me.