 | A look back on being black in Americaposted by Paris Tompkins, Limited AccessFriday, February 5th 2010 @ 11:38 PM  (1 ratings) |
On January 30, I turned 67. Being 67 gives me a privileged opportunity to look back over a span of many years to see how far, not only have I come, but also how far my fellow human beings have evolved in America, the place we call “home.”
Behind me are 6 decades, 3 generations, and half a century of changes, tragedies and wonders. And I’ve viewed them all from the perspective of a woman, an American and a black person. Those three are not my only characteristics, as I am now a business owner, but being a black woman in America has always played a particularly affective role in my life, and unfortunately still does.
In America, being black has often over shadowed the other aspects. Try though I might to circumvent my ethnicity and focus on the task at hand, as presenting my children’s books and dolls as playthings for all children, rather than a niche product for black children only, I am still being made aware or must consider my ethnicity.
Having to declare who I am to a toy agent who, before he realized I was black, suggested I change the “look” of my product, but was fine with it after I revealed my color. Or the book reviewer who said she didn’t realize I was a black author until she saw the back of the book. So although my ethnicity has been particularly much more worrisome in past years, I am still wondering what the beneficial reasons for setting me apart now are.
What does my color have to do with anything? To me, I am a creative person trying to offer the best of my creativity to a world who craves diversity and fresh ideas. How hard I have to struggle to be considered of merit, particularly by black people, is very discouraging. I have no problem if someone does not like or choose to buy my products based on their personal tastes or budget, but to refuse to consider my books and dolls worthy because of their coloring is something I can’t quite wrap my mind around. Looking back, I still find that we have a long way to go in order to move forward.
