Making Sh*t Happen

I’m a black woman. I have black friends and family. I grew up in Chicago in a black neighborhood for 23 years.

I went to an all black grammar school. I went to a diverse College Prep Magnet High School that was actually predominately black. I went to a diverse state college that was heavily white.

I graduated with an accounting degree and worked at jobs in the accounting department where I made up 1 to 5 of the minority population, in a majority white population. I also lived in a majority white suburb for 12 years of my adult life.

My life experience started me off being solely exposed to how a variety of black people may view the world based of their financial situation, their level of education and exposure to more than what was happening on their block. However, through my mother, I was also exposed to diversity at a young age with the various types of ethnic dishes she would prepare, going to her diverse work environment and taking me places and introducing me to people that were different than what I saw every day (even if we were the only two black people). I didn’t realize it then, but I was balanced.

My balance allowed me the ability to be in and around any type of environment and feel like I belonged, I was a part and I deserved. Whatever it was, I never felt excluded. I always feel welcomed.

I enjoy being around diverse mixes of people because it has allowed me to learn about other people’s beliefs, traditions and lifestyles. And the thing I have learned most of all, is that we are truly all the same. We want the same happiness, health and freedom.

There are times, plenty of times, when I may hear my black counterparts commenting on situations that may involve a white person. Their statement my reflect a belief that a white person is more privilege or can get away with something because they are white or white people do certain actives and the list goes on. In my listening, I hear my black counterparts continually perpetuate a reality for themselves that somehow they feel like white people are better (a statement that I don’t agree with, I feel we are all the same).

When I bring to their attention the statements that are made, they defend them by stating that is the world we live in. A world were white people run the world (hell I thought girls ran the world, per Beyonce…who knew?). So let’s just say for argument sake that that is the current reality of the state of the world, let’s just say. However, if it were true, why would a black person assist and insist in keeping that stream of thought/conscious alive? We can only change reality, when we change our thoughts about them.

Lady Gaga stated that life isn’t real, it’s theatre! I would encourage you to not hold onto a reality you don’t agree with. Change it! Change it by putting awareness on your contribution to keeping life status quo. Change your consciousness, your reality.

Liv your truth!