This goes out to ALL the black children who were told they would not and could not amount to anything. This goes out to the black children who were cast aside while their peers were treated like royalty. This goes out to the black children that had to grind just a little bit harder while their peers had everything handed to them. This goes out to the kid like you and me that looked in the mirror and thought they were not good enough because of the color of their skin. This goes out to the kid sitting in front of the television and noticing that no one on the screen looks like him or her. This goes out to the kid wanting better, but afraid that they might fail.
The truth is, we are ALL this kid. But the reality is that African-American youth are greatly affected by the world around them. I recall being a young boy and vividly hearing my second grade teacher tell my mother that “I was not cut out for school”. She went on to say that my best bet was to probably be held back and put into “special” courses geared towards my learning comprehension.
Long story short, my mother was not having that. She knew that I excelled in my academics, so the mere thought coming from my teacher that I was not cut out for school left her enraged. See it was not I that failed my teacher, but my teacher that failed me. My teacher failed me the moment she looked at me and write me off as a lost cause. My learning comprehension was more that than okay, it was superb. My teacher saw that I was young boy of color and felt that there was no way I could compete against my peers. The sad reality is that as only two of the only African-American students in that grade level, both me and the other child were met with nasty remarks and sad attempts for teaching.
As a person of color, there is this mindset you must carry that no matter how good you might be at something, there will always be someone doing less than you and they will still be picked over you because of the color of your skin. In other terms:
“You have to be twice as good to still get half of what they get.”
But even if this is the case, do not let this discourage you from your goals and dreams. Instead of seeing this as a discouraging fact, think of it as something to push you to be better. My favorite analogy for this quote comes from the television show Scandal. When Olivia’s father discovers that she has been having an affair with President Grant, he confronts her like any good father would. But instead of reprimanding her for the affair, he gets on to her for putting herself in a position that could set her back for years to come. Her actions alone could set POC back for years to come in the workforce and it is the her father reminds her that “they” will see her for what she is not instead of who she is and what she has done. As an African-American, you have to set the standard for how others will see you as well as how they will treat you. One error and you could ultimately damage the very thing that separates you from everyone else.
This goes out the black kids making a way out of no way. This goes out the black kids who lift their heads high despite their environment. This goes out to the black kids that struggle day in and day out, but yet put on a face for the rest of the world. I see you black child and know that your hard work has not gone unnoticed. You may not know it yet, but you are going to do extraordinary things. Keep going little black child.
-Cecil R.
Cecil's Outlook 