That Light Girls documentary was interesting for sure. Im of some intermediate shade of brown, but I could definitely relate to a lot of their experience. For most of my life, I was told that I wasnt really black. For a large part of my life, I believed it, too. My white friends believed it was a compliment. My family meant it derisively. Its incredibly damaging to be told that your experience of your race or ethnicity isnt true. Its horrible to grow up that way. You internalize a lot of hate for people who look like you. Thats why I didnt believe black people were even capable of emotion until I met some really amazing friends in college who showed me how wonderful and varied the black experience really is, and that there is a place for my experience in that varied narrative. So, yeah, the next time youre about to minimize someones experience because they look books and speak in a different dialect and maybe dont listen to the same music as you, remember that you dont get to speak for blackness. Remember that youre doing harm to someone who just wants to be themselves. Remember that youre damaging your own race and contributing to horrible narratives of racial supremacy.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 04:35:14 +0000
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