By Berita Nibigira
Once upon a time, there was me, you, them, and we. We lived in great peace and harmony. With great kindness and understanding.
All always looking out for each others’ best interests. Ah, it was such a beautiful time.
Oh wait there has never been such time! I have not seen or heard recounts of different people living in such a way. At least not from our American history textbooks.
You see, my identity is not primarily defined by my features.
Not defined by my outfits,
Not defined by my hairstyle,
Not defined by my beautiful accent,
Not defined by just my skin color.
No, no, no, It goes way deeper than that! Deeper than /”;[prich melanin of blackness combined.
See you got to take it from the genesis to understand it.
Well, even the genesis as it is commonly known isn’t the true beginning.
But, we came to know that one people out of greed decided to define another people as uncivilized and that set the ground for all that was to come up to this day!
We are still fighting the same battle.
See this is what blackness means to me
And this my friend can’t never be rewritten or stolen.
But oh how I wish the not-so-glorious truth could also be claimed for once!
See with my blackness I was ripped and stripped off of my clothes, dignity, my culture, my history, skillset, my natural beauty, and my natural resources!
With my blackness, my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were and are expected,
To raise me with crumbs!
To make Dust into the grass!
To make millions out of remnant!
To make cities out of carrot-and-stick!
See with my blackness I have scars from slavery, colonialism, decolonization, foreign aid, and institutionalized racism.
With my blackness, everywhere in the world, I see my Black people being dehumanized, oppressed, exploited, and discriminated against!
Whether in Asia, the Americas, or Europe, my Black people are among the subordinate and marginalized groups! Why?
With my blackness, I have to sit and watch as Disney busy itself in my motherland looking for another Simba and Hollywood for another King of the Jungle to entertain the rest of the world with!
With my blackness, I have to constantly sit and listen to white professors lecture me about my past and struggles!
Constantly sit and read “scholarly” and “reputable” sources of how and why my Black people are impoverished, criminals, violent, and corrupt!
Therefore we very well deserve for all hell to break loose on us.
Because our lives don’t matter as much anyway!
Remember, we have been uncivilized since day one. Why would we be seen differently now?
See with my backness I live in the tears of the current and past that all my people have cried and are still crying!
But, I believe, Black people all over the globe, will not just overcome our past and struggles,
but we will succeed far beyond their expectations
We shall excel far beyond the world’s imagination.
With blackness, I Salute the Strength in the Struggle of My People.
But also, With my blackness, My Hope Lies in the Solidarity and Unity of the world’s humanity.
Because it is true, Different colors, one Human Race.