RIP little McKenzie Adams

There are topics that I just do not have conversations about with people I don't know. Hell even if it is someone I know because people view things how they want to view things. The main topic I try steer clear of is colorism. I would be thrown into the nuthouse if I told Black folk that colorism predates racism and that "DaWight Man" saw what was going on and took it to a different level. No person of color wants to process that. It always trips me out to know there are some people who truly believe "DaWight Man" is the one who brought evil into the world and Black folk were just all "We are one" in Africa. Comical even. Critical thinking has gone to the wayside. Anywho.

Hearing about this little girl's tragedy... man listen. I was the "white" Black girl all through school. Bullying was known by its more palatable name when I was in school: teasing. I have lived in the American south my entire life and while American racism was perfected down here, the White kids I went to school with never teased me about how dark my skin is or my love of learning. The Black kids did though, even as they were copying my papers lol. I won't get all the way into it; maybe another post for a different day.

There's levels and layers to it and I probably won't be able to fully convey my feelings about this. No one made me feel more less than than my fellow skinfolk. About my skintone, my level of intelligence, I "read too much" and "you think you're white" and more. I felt this baby's pain bless her soul and the fact that she was bullied at two different schools over the same shit broke my heart and tells me this "issue" or whatever you want to call it is widespread and deeply rooted into the Black community's conscience. I know every dark skinned person's experiences aren't the same, I'm just touching on mine.

I talk about colorism in my home a lot because I don't want my children growing up with the same fucked up ideas that got passed down to me. I have had to apologize to my daughter numerous times for calling her a White girl, knowing how those same words had me in my feelings as a kid. How dare her mother talk to her like that.

I will close this post with a not-so-random confession. When I gave birth to my daughter one of the reasons I cried tears of joy is because she's lighter than me and won't have to face colorism as much as I did/do.