What we’re about
As someone who grew up as a black person in a predominantly white environment(Schooling, neighborhood, sports and more) I now suffer from something called internalized racism. This means that I look down on my own people because I have been indoctrinated by the system and media, this isn't my fault, but I am choosing to heal this wound. Growing up I was taught that I always had to be better than the "White Man", and I played sports against black and white people, I went to schools where there were predominantly white people, and the black people there were usually there for basketball or some sport. And the athletes loved rap music, there is nothing wrong with this, but we live in a society that stereotypes black people, and I have been stereotyped many times and I looked down on my own people because I wanted to be different, I didn't want to be boxed in. Maybe the person reading this can relate to me, ask yourself these questions and see where you stand with this?
When you walk past a black man does your heart rate speed up?
When you see a black homeless person do you get irritated?
When you see a black person struggling do you look down on them and cop an attitude that gives off a vibe of “Why are these people making us look bad”
Do you feel inferior when you’re in predominantly white settings?
Do you feel the need to gravitate towards sports, music or hobbies that you know white culture is much more accepting of?
Do you feel the need to prove yourself when you’re around predominantly white people?
Do you feel happy when you see a white homeless person?
Do you feel safer around white people but rarely feel safe around black people until you’ve “Vetted” them out?
Do you intentionally date white people because you want to feel more accepted by white people and society?
Do you often feel that you’re not black enough?
Do you often feel that you’re not white enough?
Do you often feel that you need to be the funny black person in a white group?
Do you give black people an anxious hello and wave when you walk past them?
Does walking past buildings and companies that emphasize black culture make you uncomfortable?
Do you get anxious that a person may ask you some stereotypical question such as “Do you like Rap
Do you often set high standards for black people but take a much less standard for the white person?
Did your parents constantly bash the “White Man” when you were young?
Did your parents pressure you to perform better and outdo “The White Man”?
Answer these questions and see where you stand in the end. If the person reading this can relate, know that I am not judging you or myself, a big part of what makes a person is the circumstances that shaped them, and many of the circumstances that are put on people are not chosen. Its not anyone's fault in a sense, but the question is , how can we move forward and heal from this?
If you're like me, and you're hungry for universal truth and healing, then let's meetup and let's journey together. This group will be big someday, I know it, things just take time, that's all.
In our group we avoid using words like "Oh my God, Gosh or Goodness", "Jesus", "Jesus Christ" and swear, words and euphemisms like Jeez, darn, dang, freak, shoot and more. I will bring a sheet of healthy language to use if anyone needs help finding replacement words, I believe in using healthy universal language, which means using language that anyone can feel safe around. For example, when I say, "I am tired", no one can be offended, because the language I am using is neutral, and I am keeping my statements in the "I" rather than the "We". In our groups we avoid using "We" statements, we speak in "I" statements, and we also avoid using our hands when we speak, this can be very triggering for people who have come from abusive households, which is why it's important to be mindful of this. When speaking, we also avoid using filler words such as "Uh, Ummm, So, Like, Anduhh", these words are very distracting, they kill time and they take power and emphasis away from the message that a person is trying to convey. Let's journey together. Let's ride.