Unbiased Reviews by Real People
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Unbiased Reviews by Real People
Pieces Of MeFeb 27, 2003 Write an essay on this topic.
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When Madtheory reminded me that it was once again February and we hadn’t done anything for Black History Month, we quickly brainstormed and sprang to action to hold this the First Annual Black History Month Write-Off, a tradition that we plan to continue as long as one of us is around. The next dilemma was what the hell was I going to write about. Yeah, I have a bajillion cd’s and many of them are aching to be reviewed – but for some reason no music can fully encompass what I wanted to convey. Then, after reading Youngchinq’s contribution, I figured music or books was out, and while I assure you that this will not be near as witty or profound as JJ’s piece – I’ll try my best. This will probably read almost like my journal – which was the point, or so I hoped. I wanted it to be a brief look at who I am and some of the thoughts that shape my everyday life. Having been black my whole life, I suppose at the ripe old age of 24 – that makes me almost an expert on the subject of being such. While I won’t claim to have experienced the horrors of slavery nor the ignorance of segregation – I’ve lived long enough to suffer my own prejudices. I also acknowledge the fact that we are not very far removed from either of those, and for some people the pain and injustice is still quite fresh. Being Black in the United States of America is hard. Be you male or female, life is complicated and I truly believe that until people stop believing that we all have equal footing in this country – things will continue to be uneven. I hate that people presume that as a group, black people should feel fortunate to have their “own month” – because the issue is very much deeper than a month. Black people have a culture rich in history and tradition – and just like the history of White people, it deserves to be taught and shared. Inevitably, someone will make the argument about Native Americans or Hispanics (or some other minority group) but I can only speak for what I know. Having neither been Native American nor Hispanic – my view on what it is like to be either would be skewed. The purpose of this piece is to not make anyone feel guilty, or to make anyone feel sorry for me, but rather to perhaps help you understand that although times have changed a lot – many things remain the same. I think that we should all take a proactive approach to multiculturalism. Not just blacks and whites but with other races as well. I am proud of who I am and if I had the choice to be anything else – I wouldn’t change being Black, not even for a split second. But if I did have some magic powers – I would make it so that people understand that being anything other than white in this great country can be difficult. I’d like to not bore anyone with my social commentary but rather take this opportunity to thank each and every person who has participated or will participate in this write-off. It means a great deal to not only myself but to Madtheory that in an online community with few minorities – that so many people were willing to offer something up in any form. We also sincerely hope that those of you who didn’t participate this year (there’s still time, just email me) will join us next year. Thanks again to all the participants and to those who are actively reading the entries.  |
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