Does Race Matter?

While I have become increasingly politically aware and informed as I've matured through my 30s and now 40s, I don't tend to write about politics. Quite frankly, those discussions make me a little uncomfortable because of their incredible complexity and charge. Necessarily, though, the socio-political issue of race which seems to have taken over the airwaves because of the 2008 presidential campaign is one that we can't ignore. And so I will carefully throw in my "5 cents" (yes, it is worth more than 2 in my opinion) as the coming week progresses.

Nonetheless, you should know that I will not approach the issue in a politically partisan or non-partisan way. As an African-American woman, it is true that I have experienced much discrimination and racism in my lifetime. But I am concerned for the many Blacks (especially women) who have been "discriminated against" by their own. Why? The pain that results from the rejection one feels by not being accepted by those supposedly within your circle sometimes hurts worse than the rejection felt by those without. As a result, feelings of inadequacy and self-hatred can ensue, causing one to "lose their identity" or wish they were somebody else. This is an especially troublesome issue for young Black girls.

I want to address this issue because it is real. I experienced it. I want to address this issue because I have a daughter. I don't want her thinking that because she has a certain skin tone and a certain texture of hair that that makes her to be "this" (whatever "this" is). I want her to be able to deal with the very real possibility that she may be hurt by her own. And I want her to be able to handle it. So within these posts (they will probably be categorized at least under Race "Matters" as well as possibly "Women Who Run With The Wolves") will be my hashing out of an "ideology" I will communicate to my daughter as she is growing up...so that she will better understand those "matters" of race.

I invite you to join me in the evolution of this discussion...