I Love Being Black

I Love Being Black is a Facebook page with roughly 5.7 million 'Likes' whose stated mission is:

To uplift Black people Worldwide & combat self-hatred and negativity coming from outside or inside our community, and to do it with style.

In their notes there is a broad politically charged piece about white privilege which seems to be personified here as Sarah Palin and George Bush. These two typical white people are compared and contrasted with President Obama to illustrate how Black people are treated unfairly in comparison. Most white people may not be able to relate to any of these representatives of the white race as most people, regardless of color, are just trying to get by like anyone else. Most white people who read this may wonder what happened to the great privilege they are supposed to have been born into? Did they miss an announcement at the white persons club? Was there a letter lost in the mail?

This is just one of many groups and websites that are there to cater to people who love their race whether it be white, black or any color in between. Some are more positive such as I Love Black People and others are far more sinister in nature such as the white supremacist website Stormfront for White Nationalists and Racial Realists. All of these forums and websites are dedicated to a race and visited by people who strongly identify with their race and actively promote racial exclusionary issues and causes. There seems to be a segment of all races who take pride in, or actively promote, their race.

While people are certainly entitled to be proud of their race, it begs the question why?
If asked to "tell me about yourself?" or asked to make a list of things about yourself that you think are important fact people should know about you, or that encompasses who you are or how you identify, where would race be? Would you start this list with "I am a black..." or "I am Hispanic..." or "I am white..." Would you start it by saying you are gay? A man? A woman? Left handed? Blonde? Or would you instead say "I am and artist" or "I am a doctor" or "I love to read" or "I play the guitar"? Are you a race first? Or are you an individual first and foremost? How do you identify?

We are born to our race, gender or sexual orientation, these are not accomplishments, they are merely attributes we share with millions of other people in the world, they say nothing of a persons likes or dislikes, profession, talent, training, or their passions and pet peeves. If these attributes are high on a persons list of facts about themselves it means that they heavily identify themselves by these traits. It may be that at some point they came to believe that these attributes are worthy, important enough, or are the greatest contributor to their identity.

Indeed this may be that people of color, homosexuals and women have historically been denied rights and suffered persecution, being forced to come together to face these challenges. In so doing they have, out of necessity, fostered a strong identity around their common physical traits. Indeed the very traits for which they have suffered persecution are the same traits that have drawn them closer because of shared experiences. Certainly the subject is very complex as is all human interaction.

Certainly being vigilant that your race, gender and sexual orientation is not a target of discrimination is very important. The very fact that there is a need to have advocates for equality creates a greater awareness of ones race. It also creates professional advocates, people who earn a living as an advocate for a race, gender and sexual orientation.

It may also be that these people have few accomplishments to speak of otherwise. Racially minded people will often tout the accomplishments of their race as if they are something they should also be proud of, as if they share credit somehow because they happen to be born a certain color.

Percy Julian was a pioneer chemist whose work in chemical synthesis greatly benefitted mankind. He happened to be black but his accomplishments are his own to be proud of. Thomas Edison was a great inventor and businessman whose devices changed the world. He happened to be white but his accomplishments are not shared by all whites. Average people who work hard to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads, minor miracles for most of us, might be black or white, but they accomplish what they do, not for their race, but because they are all people.

Great accomplishments are achieved by people, not a races. By the same token, if someone of a specific race commits a horrible crime, says or does something abhorrent, the whole race is not complicit, it is just the actions of that individual. A race does not take credit for great individual accomplishments any more than there is racial condemnation over horrible individual crime. This holds true for sexual orientation and gender as well.

Allowing one's self to be proud of the accomplishments of those who share your race, gender or sexual orientation alleviates the burden of having to accomplish something so you can be proud of your own accomplishments as an individual. Race, gender or sexual orientation is not an accomplishment. You had nothing to do with the color of your skin or who you were born to. What is there to love or hate or be proud or ashamed about in ones skin color or gender? Isn't it far more important to love and take pride in your own actions and deeds?

Racism in the US certainly still exists but it is not solely a Black or White problem, it is a human problem. Seeing the race and refusing to see the person will simply assure nothing will ever change. This goes the same for how we see ourselves. Only seeing ourselves as our race, our gender, or our sexual orientation will always limit the ability for us to see ourselves and others as unique individuals.