Disparities – All people with darker skin are generally judged with harsh and negative stereotypes. This is because of the pauperized way (relative: sometimes externally, internally, or not felt at all) they have come to exist in this present time, the consequence of racial injustice and oppression. The consequence of cruel despotism (the name centuries back) or violation of human rights (the name today). I am sometimes ascribed these stereotypes. My cognitive processes in response to the, often subtle jabs in my direction or jeopardized efforts behind my back, have been varied but internal. However, they have always involved one or more of these: confusion, distrust, sense-making, denial, separation, and then it usually passes with distractions. Skin color is not on a dichotomy of black and white but rather is on a spectrum with different shades.
- Image credit: http://mimiandeunice.com/2010/07/26/color/
It is unfortunate that the color of one’s skin, a piece of nature that is good and should not be changed, is such an issue of contention and spite. Identities of all people are based on other factors. I may identify with one group, but the truth remains, I am not able to truly share their worldview that are the implications of a different past. A tougher, most painful past. Haven grown to adulthood in Africa and coming from a non-western culture, it becomes difficult to be affiliated with one side while finding present-day agreements and disagreements with both sides. I have come to accept the fact that I indeed cannot fully identify with any side of the racial dichotomy even though I feel a sense of camaraderie with one side and a sense of shared understanding with another.
To be continued…
My Own Mentor 