Black Does Not Equate To Ghetto

I wonder, sometimes, why people automatically assume that when they see a black person, they must automatically assume that we are all ghetto. It is like some people will automatically try to speak slang to us (or try to act like they are one of us or "down with the cause") and we are looking at you like you are crazy. And if we speak proper english to you, you think that we are "not black." Imagine being told that you are not "Black Enough" because you do not act like you are from the ghetto. Some of us did not come from the ghetto (believe it or not). What is shown on TV is a fantasy. One that needs to be destroyed. Being Black American does not equate to being ghetto, thuggish or ignorant. Yes, it is true that some Black Americans are like that, but that is all that TV will show the world. ALL Black Americans do not like to listen to rap music (some of us enjoy listening to gospel or the old stuff). ALL Black Americans do not like to curse and use broken english. ALL Black Americans do not like to walk around with our pants hanging down our behinds and holding ourselves. ALL Black Americans do not automatically act rude and obnoxious in public (although, we can be aggressive and a bit overwhelming if we feel threatened). ALL Black Americans do not like to be called the "B" word and hoes. ALL Black Americans do not like to be call the "N" word either. As a matter of fact, a lot of us despise that word. That word has such bad history behind it that we (Black Americans) who do use it need to be ashamed. Talking about we need to take it back; we never had it in the first place. It was used derogatively toward us. It was a word used to degrade us and "to put us in our place." That is one word you can keep. And we definitely will not steal your purse or wallet. We are a proud people. We come from a long line of proud people. Being Black American is about pride, strength, spirituality, creativity, imagination, unity. Proud of who we are and where we come from. Strong in mind, body, spirit, soul. It is about enjoying who we are and helping others to do the same. It is about loving & embracing who God created us to be. Our parents, grandparents and great grandparents (& the list goes on) taught us about the history of our people. And that is something that we Black Americans should hold on to and never let it go.

What Does It Mean To Love Yourself - Part 1

It took me a long time to learn to love myself. For me, my self hatred stemmed from the fact that my dad was not in my life. It made me feel real bad to know that my dad did not want me in his life because he felt he made a mistake. He chose to drop his first family and act like we never existed. That is hard on a child, especially a girl. Females can be so vulnerable to all types of things because we do not know what to look for when it comes to dating. But, I am so very thankful that I have learned to love myself, in spite of how he feels about me. I have come to realize that God created me for a reason. When He created me, He did not make a mistake. That is what has helped me to accept me for who I am.