I’ve always wondered how many people were ashamed of their own race? I have to admit there are times when I can say that I’m ashamed of being black. Am I wrong? Should I be proud of my race? I agree, yes, I should be proud of my race, but in 2011 it’s extremely hard to be. With today’s music, movies, and T.V, I can see how some can be ashamed. Am I saying it’s right? No, I’m not. I’m just saying I can completely understand why someone would feel this way.

I’m black and so is everyone else in my family. I was raised in a white neighborhood. I went to a white school. My family was the only black family in our whole little area. I didn’t think much of it. My mother worked in a white majority area. She was the only black female in her area of work, and we think that is because most jobs have to hire some percentage of minorities. My mother didn’t mind. She did have to deal with her amount of racism. She always said the people who had a problem with her were far less than the ones who treated her as an equal. My mom worked her ass off to keep me and my siblings in a good school and raised in a good area.

I was raised to speak proper English. Yes ma’am and no ma’am your elders. Just to be right out respectful. Dress well and present yourself as if you had a good upbringing, and some sense of civilization. As awful as it sounds, that is how she raised us. She worked her ass off so people wouldn’t label us as a statistic. She wanted us to not fall into the same category as every other person. She wanted to raise us to be strong, and to not let our skin hold us back. She wanted us to have the skills, and the education, so when the time came for us to be on our own, we would standout for who we are, and for how well we did something, not for the color of our skin.

I remember the first time someone said to me, “You sound like a white girl”. I was sitting in class, and I was in the 7th grade. I didn’t understand what she meant. The whole time I was thinking, ‘what does that mean?’ I went home and asked my mom, and she said it’s how I speak. I speak very clear, and proper. I never tried to; it was just how I spoke. I was a little embarrassed, and I couldn’t tell you to this day why I was. After that, I never spoke to that girl again. I kind of just stopped talking in school really. When I talk to people on the phone, and they meet me, the first thing a couple of them have said is “I thought you were white”.

I always reply, “Why would you think that?” They always follow with, “Because of how you talk”. I never really reply. I always feel like, ‘damn, not all black people talk as if they were ignorant’. I’ve never actually said that, but I do think it all the time. It wasn’t till I moved to Minneapolis from Florida to understand why people were surprised by me. That’s when I started to feel embarrassed about being black.

It wasn’t till I was in Minneapolis (18 years old) that I started thinking differently. I’m not ashamed of my race or being black. I love being black, I love my skin, I love the color. I love the way my skin looks next to my boyfriend’s skin. I’m proud of what my race has overcome. I would never wish to be another race. I guess I’d have to say I’m ashamed of what my culture has become. I’m ashamed of how my race continually proves stereotypes to be right.

Teen pregnancy: Black teens have the highest teen pregnancy rate. For young women age 15-19, black teens are most likely to become pregnant (134 per 1,000 women). Slightly lower rates occur among Hispanics (131 per 1,000) followed by non-Hispanic whites (48 per 1,000).

Drop-outs: The rate of dropout is higher on average for Black, Hispanic, and Native American youths.

Black people along with other races, but more so black people, have to deal with stereotypes such as:

Stupid
Irresponsible
Crack babies
Teen pregnancy
Drop-outs
Incarcerated
Fathers leave their kids
Hard workers? Lazy? (There was considerable debate on this)

So many more should be added to this list of things that are attached to being black. One by one, I see them happening right in front of my face. I don’t know if it’s the day and age we are in, or what is not being done at home, but something needs to change.

I’m out on the street, and I’ll see a group of black females and each of them have a baby tied to their hip, or pushing one in a stroller. They seem to speak as though they haven’t had any education. They’re disrespectful to their elders, and seem to have no self-control. The majority that I’ve met (female) are single parents of one or more children. Education rates blacks at the bottom, and some have no motive to do better.

A great percentage of black families come from uneducated parents that are in and out of jail. A lot of young black men (not all) would rather “hustle” on the street than take the time to look for a job. A few black men I’ve come in contact with always feel as though the “white man” owes them something. Black artists on T.V. reduce their worth or value to big jewelry, huge houses, and women with huge asses. They degrade their women, and every female is a “bitch” or a “hoe”. They value themselves on how big their rims are and how loud the base is in their car, and not how they are presented, or what they stand for.

Black people in general disrespect each other more than any other race could. I was sitting on the bus one day and there was a group of black men sitting in the back of the bus, and they are talking to each other. But the way they are doing it, every other word is “Nigga this, or nigga that”. If someone else was to say it, they would lose their minds. Why would you refer to yourself as something that you wouldn’t want someone to refer to you as?

The majority of black men feel gang life is all they have. I personally feel it’s all an excuse to not have to prove that you are worth more than you think. They would rather be respected by their “homeboys” than be respected as an upright citizen. The majority of black young girls don’t strive to be doctors, or vets. No, they want to be a video girl, the girl who isn’t respected for her education. They’d rather be the girl that is used because she has a big ass. Most would settle for being a man’s other women than being his wife. I don’t feel that you can blame someone for how they were raised. You would think that because they were raised the way that they were, that they would want to change that. No, most would rather sit back and blame everyone else for their failure in life.

People are surprised when they ask me if I have children. I’m proud to say NO. But they make it seem as though they expect me to have a couple of them. When people find out about me, they act so shocked. I tell them I’d love to become a doctor, or even a therapist. I always get a look of ‘Oh, really?’ It annoys me to no end. I’m not saying white and Hispanic people aren’t the same way, but I’m just focusing on black people. I could be looking at this from the wrong point of view, but I’m just stating how I, as Miss Nessa, feel. I can go on and on about this, but his article can be only so long……

References: http://womensissues.about.com/od/datingandsex/tp/Teenpregancy.htm

http://www.ncset.org/publications/essentialtools/dropout/part1.3.asp

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