What is Black?
I thought it was a color; one which goes with anything.
Then, I learned it was also a group of people—a group that I belong to.
What makes me Black?
It cannot be my skin, for that is a mixture of caramel and rose petals.
Is it my chivalry?
No, I read somewhere that chivalry is about as dead as disco.
Could it be my tendency to make others laugh?
Does that make comedians Black?
They make me laugh.
A friend once told me, “You’re Black, DANCE!”
Hmmm… So, Black determines your ability to dance?
In all fairness, I also get the occasional, “You are not Black enough!”
How do I get Blacker?
I must not have gotten that memo.
“Where’s your do-rag? Why don’t you like rap? Why aren’t your pants sagging? Why don’t
you have 24-inch chrome spinners?”
Questions for which I provide logical answers.
“I have no need to wear a do-rag. Rap annoys me. I understand the concept of a belt. Why
spend so much money on a part of my car that I don’t even see while I’m driving?”
This amuses me.
You see, I often get statements like these from those who are classified as White.
Black and White. Opposites.
I love how those who are not me tell me how to fulfill my Black duties—the same duties which I
knew nothing about in the first place.
Please understand, I mean no harm with these words.
I am simply expressing my confusion.
Am I supposed to critique someone’s Whiteness?
Is that one of my responsibilities?
Not to forget my fellow Blacks, who consistently remind me that I don’t fit their mold.
Who repeatedly complain about the White man holding us down, robbing us of decent jobs and
educations.
Meanwhile, the newest dance crazes and music videos tempt us into focusing more on the
amusement in life than the necessities.
Yes, I prefer to keep A’s on my report card than J’s on my feet,
Money in the bank than spent on the frivolous distractions which entice us greatly,
Clothes on my back than hanging from my behind,
Grills used for barbeque, not for oral vanity.
So please, heed my words,
Apply them to your everyday experiences.
Know who you are, and live your life like it’s golden!