Know Your Ancestry. Know Your History
If you do not know your history, you will suffer at the hands of racism, discrimination and microaggressions.
You will experience self-hate, low self-esteem and hatred towards your own people. And you will never know why. You will want to be white, hate your hair, and make fun of the nose and lips that are so characteristic of us.
After you study, listen and learn, you will realize that all those feelings were a byproduct of assimilation. Of trying to fit into a white world with white standards that cut you out from the beginning.
When you understand that, you will stop trying so hard to fit in and instead you'll be yourself and walk into your power. Most importantly you will see your beauty!! And the beauty of others like you. And you will teach others too.
Don't underestimate the power of education. Although it does not protect you from suffering discrimination it will protect you from absorbing it and believing it.
I am proud to be black. But it wasn't always this way. It took work. Growing up in the diaspora can be lonely. So work too, so you won't fall for these traps.
