What's on Your Minds Wednesdays

It's your turn to speak your mind! Whether you have been personally affected by the division in the black community, know someone who has or have experienced similar prejudice as a member of another minority group, I want to hear your story.

Enlightening Cruise

Hello Blog Readers,

I have been away on a much needed vacation. I took a seven-day cruise and visited many different places. It was interesting to sit back and watch different people on the ship and on the islands. I was with my husband and children, but was surprised to find that two black men continued to hit on me whenever they saw me alone. First off, I have to admit it was very flattering because they were indeed gorgeous and had perfect physiques to boot! I also have to admit that I was surprised to see that they were hitting on a few other sexy chocolate sisters I had seen on the ship. They seemed to be there with a family reunion group, though I didn't ask them too many questions, because I'm married and didn't want to show too much interest. During our brief conversation, we talked about my observations of Puerto Rico. I had not been there in 20 years and found there were many changes.

I loved the way the Puerto Rican people seemed to embrace everyone. They showed no distinction between darker or lighter people; everyone just seemed to show respect and love toward the tourists, as well as each other. I make it a point to closely observe this type of thing in different settings because it interests me so much. Also, I saw a lot of interracial couples on the ship, and most were black women with white men. This seems to be more and more prevalent than in the past. It was a very interesting cruise. 

I realize I have touched on several topics in this blog post. Let me know your thoughts on any topic I've brought up, and also let me know if you have cruised before and if you like it. Make this a great Monday!

Open Forum Wednesdays

Yes, it's that time again! Tell me what's on your mind. How has this all-too-common issue impacted your life? Were you on both sides of the issue...a reformed color-struck person? What made you see the light?

Misconceptions Surrounding Slavery Perpetuated

I watched an interview of Terrence Howard on one of the late night programs, and he was talking about a house that he owns. The house apparently has a 300-ft. underground tunnel that leads into the woods, that slaves used as an escape route. He spoke about introducing the tunnel to his children, and she that he explained that it was the escape route for slaves. He asked them if they would like to possibly go in, and he stated, "They said, 'Why do we have to go in? We're light skinned. We can pass.'" He and the host laughed. 

I was thinking how inappropriate the comment was, because light-skinned people endured the hardships of slavery, just as the dark-skinned slaves did. It's this type of teaching that continues to encourage the ignorance in our community about the light-skinned, dark-skinned issue.

Open Forum Wednesdays

Tell me what's on your mind... What are your experiences? How has this issue impacted your life? Were you ever on the other end of the issue...being color struck yourself?

Does Light = Nice?

I was watching a comedian on HBO, and he made a statement I was a little confused by. He was saying a lot of raunchy stuff, then after saying it stated, "I bet the audience is thinking he's suppose to be nice; he's light skinned." Things got relatively quiet after he made the comment, a few chuckled, but most seemed baffled, like I was. Sometimes, I think this problem is bigger than I even thought, because of stupid statements like that. The comedian probably actually thinks he may appear a little less threatening because he has lighter skin. Can someone, anyone, shed some light on his comment?

Open Forum

Today is an open forum. I would like to hear from you. Tell me some of your stories about the dark-skin, light-skin issue. I would like to hear from people who have had hurtful things said to them about their skin color. Then, on the flip side, I would like to hear from the people who may have said some hurtful things and why.

It's Our Right! Or Is It?

Hello all, sorry I missed posting a few blogs. I had been out a town for a minute. This week's blog poses the question "Is it our right"? 

Is it our right as African American women to voice a verbal or written opinion when we see brothers liking or loving only white women? This blog will usually focus on the trials and tribulations of growing up dark skinned, but I recently read another article about our boy Tiger Woods and I thought I would put the question out there. I have absolutely no problem with interracial marriages, because I am actually in one myself, but I do have a problem when it seems that certain people, and  black men in particular, only seem to entertain white women! 

I believe in loving whoever loves you back and whoever treats you well, but I will never accept that rationale from someone who seems to have never even attempted to date someone within their own race. Now what I am about to say will really get some people's blood boiling, but what the heck, I am gonna say it anyway! I can truly understand why black women date outside of their race, but find it hard to understand why black men won't make several attempts to stick within their race, before going to another. As I stated before, if you happen to just fall in love with someone outside of the black race, and it is clearly a match made in heaven, so be it. But when someone will only attempt to date outside of their race, then there is clearly a problem. 

So should we get our necks all tight over men like Tiger Woods, or should we not care?