Soul of a Woman

I have come to realize that even if I met all of the markers of success, i.e., education, wealth,  and housing.

I am still brown.

I was raised in The Bronx, NY.

Specifically, the Soundview Housing Projects. My mom was a dedicated homemaker, and my father a blue-collar worker.  I attended public schools.

As an adult, I began to understand my reality. As a brown person, there were limitations to my access. So I worked hard and focused on my education for acceptance in the “white” environment. I believed the same for my sons, so we provided a private school education where we knew opportunities would abound.

  But…they were still brown.

 Living in an upper-middle-class neighborhood.

 Making a significant living.

Traveling the world.

We are still brown.

Some of the best medical doctors in the country are our physicians; some of our friends are the most influential people in the world.

Yet we are still brown.

I have experienced racism when I walked into the room, where many assumed I didn’t belong.  My sons have experienced discrimination. Neither higher education, wealth, and social equality could erase the fact that we are still brown.

While many insist, we just need to try harder to get what is equal; when we do we are still shunned. 

You see where I’m going here.

No matter what we obtained, who we know, who our friends are, all the wealth and access…

We are still brown.

Race matters.

When you meet my family, you don’t see these things about us; you see our race;

And that, my friend, is the definition of RACISM! 

When will that change?

I know… when your heart changes!

Lesson:

Look around your sphere of influence.

Challenge yourself to include a color that is not your own.

‘Til Tuesday