What you read and watch on television matters; It starts at home. Newspapers, TV News, and Social media reports what they want us to see. Continuously watching the oppression of Black people as a Black citizen is causing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (commonly known as PTSD) within our communities. We are grateful for the platform to begin to have these conversations finally. However, we can't help but become angrier at the fact that it's still happening every day. That anger towards oppression follows us out of our homes and into our next destinations where we then proceed to take that aggression out on all ethnicities surrounding our environments. While I do understand how the media outlets are portraying America to be racially divided, please know that a couple of bad apples do not spoil a bunch. As the saying goes, "Do not believe everything you see on TV"; everyone is NOT racist.
You do not have to fall prey to the system. Start watching more positive Black images on television. Read more newspaper articles that report us doing good deeds for our communities. Block out all negative social media article links on Facebook that will only anger you and leave you hopeless. Filter out all harmful content on Instagram about the constant Police brutality and day to day racial encounters. Yes, these stories will upset you. Yes, you will feel hopeless. Yes, you will contact helplessness because you are not there at the scene of the events at that moment to be able to do anything to change the outcome nor seek justice. Your day will come to make a difference; wait your turn. Until then, live your best life to the fullest. You only live once.
When reading books and novels, whether it is fiction or nonfiction, be sure to rationalize your consumption of content. Knowledge about Black History and slavery is okay for educational purposes because it is necessary. However, the obsession with oppression has taken over today's society, and when you become too consumed with a subject, it starts to affect your mind. When the constant reminder of slavery, segregation, and lack of privilege plants itself into the Black culture, it allows history to start repeating itself. The more a culture reminds itself of the past, the more we begin to live in the past. We start acting like slaves. We begin to consume thoughts of not having privilege because of delusional segregation which has never been further from the truth. Our ancestors from the Civil Rights Movement made it possible for our culture to work, eat, and sleep anywhere we want to; That is our privilege. We have the same opportunities as all races and ethnicities in America. Black people need to learn to stop fighting for rights that we already have and start demanding what is rightfully and legally ours. We will then be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor that comes with our privilege.
Here are five ways to protect your mind when you are the minority in a work or school environment:
1. Are you not welcomed? Well, stop trying to fit in.
- If they don't want to include you then create your own space; You don't need them.
2. Do not compromise your authenticity to make others feel comfortable.
- Keep it professional, annunciate, and articulate but do not conform who you are because they don't want to accept your culture in certain places. You are not intimidating; they are intimidated, and that is a big difference. It is also NOT your problem.
3. Putting yourself down and making racially charged stereotypical remarks about yourself in a negative manner amongst others who are not apart of your ethnicity is a no go.
- It's only contributing to what they already think about us and how they already feel about us. Be smart. Don't do it.
4. Never allow anyone to compartmentalize your character, your culture, and your identity into the "Ghetto Black Girl" image.
- Society will attempt to silence you by labeling you as obstructive for having a voice when having to defend yourself while facing adversity.
5. Seek therapy.
- Black girls need to learn to take care of our mental therapeutically by seeking counseling and releasing all of our traumas of life we go through to a professional. I would suggest finding a Black woman for therapy or even the Lord all by himself. Go to someone who will better understand what you're going through and will know how to address you accordingly by giving the best advice through experience.
Sistahs, move to the beat of your drum because you are the original soundtrack.
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