Black is associated with evil, the unknown, fear, aggression and rebellion. Society seems to be ashamed of all shades of black: big noses, big lips and country grammar. Although America has gotten better at being inclusive, we celebrate mini facets of black culture. Celebrating black culture doesn’t just consist of being proud of your black skin. It’s embracing everything about who you are. From the way you to talk, walk and act. Society has deprived me from feeling confident about all of these things. If you come from ghetto places, that does not mean that you are less than someone who is not.

Black Voice

Growing up, I remember being very loud. I became too “black” for my white friends. My grammar came across as relaxed and did not reflect my white friends’ mannerisms. Realizing I was different from the bunch, I yearned to fit in and temporarily traded my personality to make them feel comfortable.

Black voices are often associated with ghetto places, as if talking a certain way can be similar to a slum or financially unstable place. Being “ghetto” or “country” does not restrict black people from being successful and intellectual. Comparing a black voice to a poverty stricken place is racist in itself.

Skin

I have a big nose and big lips. Sometimes, when I walk into grocery stores, I see females clutching their purses to their chests as soon as they see me. I understand that everyone makes assumptions of people, it’s simply an instinct to survive. But I can’t help but laugh because it’s never that deep. *inserts laughter* But the moment we assume someone’s intentions based on their skin color is when we lose our humanity-in that moment we become racial profilers.

Also, people who are not of color aren’t always to blame. Most of the time, colorism can be found within the black community. That’s a shame because my ancestors fought so hard for us not to hate one another. All shades of black are beautiful, but if we continue to uplift black people on T.V. and tear us down in real life, we will never get anywhere as a society.

Culture

We live in an era where black people are responsible for the resurgence of urban culture. Cultural appropriation is such an important topic for people of color because for so long we’ve been ridiculed for our looks. Now all of a sudden, America wants to hop on the trend train. Try again.

Black people are more than what you see on Tyler Perry’s latest movies. We are anything and everything we are called to be. We are loud, quiet, confident, sensitive and violent people. Violence is a term often used to describe aggressiveness, but it’s also a word that describes passion and strong things. We have the ability to take words and give them new meaning.

Attractiveness can be found in the eye of the beholder. In my opinion, black is beautiful, but it can’t be beautiful until society sees it as so.