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Greetings!
Do you know how it is, that as a child, some things just didn't add up, but you don't quite know how to describe it, how to put this discomfort into words, much less understand it? And so it was for me as a Black child in America.
You see, on the one hand, society told me every day that Black people were the worst of the worst, that we were worthless, no good, shiftless, and lazy. That we were pitiful, trifling, unintelligent, evil human beings.
I had no idea who they were talking about.
On the other hand, in the real world, I saw Black people who were loving and kind, raising their families and getting up and going to work everyday. I saw the Black teachers and entrepreneurs, dance teachers and restaurant owners, having cookouts on weekends, playing in softball tournaments, playing Red Rover in the streets, and simply celebrating life's joys and sorrows, spending time together and helping our communities grow the best way people knew how.
Certainly, there are some bad apples in the Black community as there are with any group of people, but the entire Black race?
None of it made any sense. I couldn't understand the vast disconnect between the reality of everything I knew and experienced as a Black person vs. what the world was constantly saying about Black people. So I set upon a lifelong journey to figure it out. And along the way, I discovered that there were not only lies about Black Americans, but the most pernicious lies were about Africa - our legacy, our wisdom, our genius, our gifts. I uncovered that there is so much more to our rich legacy and beauty in our humanity. This journey of discovery has been the greatest joy of my life. I look forward to sharing it with you.
Peace and Blessings,