Sunday, March 18, 2007

Racism: Does it still exist?

I was reading my good friend Adrienne's blog and I could not believe my eyes. Apparantly someone had the balls to say to her " I didn't know black people knit". Now some might say this woman was just IGNORANT, but I have to pull the RACE CARD, because this was not just an ignorant comment, this was A RACIST ONE. I took it to mean, black people lack creativity and the intelligence to have a hobby. The reason I say this, is because the very same comments were made to me at my first crop. A white woman in her mids-40's came in and already, I felt a vibe from her, as she kept giving me dirty looks. She tried to make small talk and then she very cunningly slipped in " I didn't black people scrapbooked, I didn't think it was your thing". Why would someone even think it was ok, to make a comment like that. Don't you know that its rude? I didn't know that SCRAPBOOKING or KNITTING was a "White's only" HOBBY! It just pisses me off, that people are still so IGNORANT, SMALL MINDED, ARROGANT, AND OBLIVIOUS about life!

I am all about the HUMAN RACE. OUr culture is so mixed, you may think you are one thing, but there is so much more to you. I had a friend who named Anna who was tracing her roots, for a geneology project in High School, it was a big project. Anna and I were super close, so we often did our work together, we went to the library together,stayed up late doing this project. Anna was really serious about this project. Anna found out something that changed her forever, she found out that her Great Grandfather was of African descent. Her family was from Sicily, and the MOORE'S an African religious group, came to Sicily and mixed with the women. It was funny to hear this because Anna and her family was super dark with super curly hair. I had always thought she was mixed, in summer she was darker than I am. This changed Anna, at first, she was shocked. But, then she embraced her history and encouraged her family to do the same. So many races are mixed, even Puerto Rican people have African ties...

I didn't have to use Anna's story, I could use my own. My grandmother's mother Lizzie Mae was born of a white father, and a bi-racial mother (who was trying to pass for white). Rosa's (my grandmothers, maternal grandmother), mother was raped by her slave master's son, and she bore 3 children by him. His father found out and sent Rosa away, along with her 3 children, the children were treated better than most and were allowed some of the same priviledges, but not all, as white children. They were well dressed, well educated, and soon slavery ended. In college Rosa met, Thomas and she thought it would be best to keep her African heritage a secret. After all, no one would have known she wasn't white. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, straight hair. Her mother was bi-racial too. Tom and her fell in love and bore 9 children. You can't hide what's in your blood, because the last child came out kind of on the dark side. Not at first, but as the child got older, he started to get darker. Darker than the other 8 children. Tom, thought that maybe she had an affair with A BLACK MAN, Rosa, told him that she herself was of African descent. This was too much for Tom's small mind to grasp, so he beat her within a inch of her life and left her and all 9 of his children. Lizzie, who was the third oldest child and my grandmother's mother, said she would NEVER DENY who she was and she found the BLACKEST MAN IN THE PLANET, my grandfather Sanders, who was not just black himself. His mother was FULL BLOOD Cherokee Indian and her name was Muanh, and his father was African, black as tar, super tall, with straight, straigt beautiful coal black hair. He was absolutely gorgeous. My grandmother is one of 27 children. My grandmother's mom had 10 children, and she died in childbirth with along with her 11th child. Of the 1O, 4 look just like they are white, but with red hair, and freckles. The hair is very coarse. The other 6, which includes my grandmother, are very dark, with straight hair and blue eyes. My grandmother Rosabelle, looks very exotic, she is dark, but has a reddish tone, her hair was coal black, very long and straight, and blue eyes. Weird huh? Not to mention my dad, who is bi-racial. His father was Native American and French, and his mother was Native Americn and African American. My point is there is NO PURE race, NONE. WE all bleed red, so what difference does skin color make. We are all ONE KIN, in the eyes of God!

I am not Defined by the color of my skin, but the person I am on the inside. Don't get me wrong I am proud of who I am and I would never deny what I am, but there's alot of what I am. I am very proud of my African American Heritage, but I am equally as proud of my Native American Heritage. I embrace both cultures. My father is creole, and I embrace that culture too! I find it a blessing!

I love myself! I embrace all cultures!

But to some IGNORANCE IS BLISS...


I encourage each and everyone of you who reads this blog today, to embrace who you are and embrace others. Don't judge a book by it's cover, it could be something special your missing out on....

Until next time
Peace out

7 comments:

justem said...

This is fantastic post Dana. Thanks for sharing so much about your family history...I wish I knew as much as you do about your past.

Bonita Rose said...

amen sister.. and what a great post! good for you! I've never gotten into the whole family history thing, but one day i just might... ur post was wonderful!

Lynn said...

Dana, your posts are always so insightful and encourage to others. This is so true. I thank you for sharing your familys heritage with us.

Anonymous said...

What a great post. My mother is documenting our family history. I really love your blog. Its a great read.

CircesMagic said...

WHAT??? I didn't know black people knit??? WHAT??? Welcome to 2007 people, what kind of question is that? I am speechless and disgusted, how rude and ignorant! My cousins daughter is for the short list half white half black, someone had the nerve to ask her when did she adopt Alex...Um, I didn't my cousin replied, she was so stumped she couldn't think of a snappy comeback! UGH! A great post nonetheless....

Cheryl Wray said...

Great post Dana!! And what a BEAUTIFUL heritage and family you have!!

Jen said...

Just found your blog today. What a fantastic post! You are SO right. What pure race? Nowhere is there a pure race - certainly not in England, where I live! There was a recent series on TV where they traced people's DNA and some people who thought they were "100% English" turned out to have African or Asian DNA in their makeup. Very enlightening. Your heritage sounds fascinating and you are right to be proud of it. Apparently, mine can be traced back to the Viking invastion....