Power in your Blackness

How being black has shaped my life

Trust your power, love your blackness.

What does this mean to me?

A year ago I saw this quote and it instantly resonated with me. I even went as far as getting it tattooed on my wrist. Why? Not to make a statement but more as a reminder. A reminder that being black is great. Society my whole life has taught and tried to shape me to be a certain person. Has it gotten better? Sure! But the feelings are already engrained in me.

Growing up in a pre-dominantly white area you get this feeling that you must walk and talk a different way in order to feel accepted. Everyone wants to be accepted. When I was young, I was convinced that in order to be successful, I would always have to “act white.” As I have gotten older, I have learned that acting white is a made up term. I am allowed to be smart, talk articulately, and still have a feeling of being me, black.

Being different than society around you is okay.

It became hard when you go places and don’t see any one that looks like you. The first time it’s just funny, the second time you think, this is weird, then the third, fourth, fifth time it just becomes an inner struggle. Are they staring at me, judging me, wondering why I am here? The answer is probably no, but statistics would say yes. Do you give everyone the benefit of the doubt? Do you let your guard down?Do you just blame it on, they can’t help where they come from? I try. Then something happens and I am back to step one. This part is one of the hardest things to cope with. I am not sure if it’s just an innate feeling or that I have just gotten older and have more access to seeing the world. It’s something that I just can’t explain.

The brain is funny. You can fight the urge to forget race, but the world around me has constantly reminded me that race is everything. Use it to your benefit. Take the time to teach and uplift those around you. The world will be what the world will be.

Trust my power. Use my background as my strength. Love my blackness. Be a superhero, don’t die a villain.

I have been surrounded by every culture and intentionally have learned as much as I can about people. My power is bringing people together. This has brought me to where I am today. Bringing minorities together, to help them continue to win. When I look back down the road ten years from now, I will have seen a change through my lens. I will have seen how being a minority can greatly impact many and those behind me will find their power of being black, earlier than I have.

Stay tuned for my next topic next week on how I came about ACC and the impact and legacy I want to leave.