White America I Don’t Understand
I don’t understand how as an African American, a full-fledged American citizen who truly loves this country how my expectations of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are significantly different from white Americans. I want all that the American Dream speaks of. I want to have an equal opportunity for freedom, democracy, equal rights, and prosperity. I don’t understand why I have to maneuver around systemic obstacles that keep me from achieving success in a country that prospered based on many years of free labor from my ancestors. I don’t understand why at every crook and turn on the road to success each time I see a bright light white America snuffs it out and pushes me back into darkness.
I want equal opportunity to be a mainstay in my life. I want to have access to quality education in my neighborhood the same as you. I want the schools in my neighborhood to have everything needed to foster student success. I want to purchase a home in the neighborhood of my choice and not be relegated to the neighborhood where you want me to live. I want to receive fair and equal treatment when I apply for a home loan. I don’t want my home’s value to be assessed differently because it’s in a “black” neighborhood. I want to live in a neighborhood free of warehouses and environmental hazards. Homeownership is the basis for generational wealth. I want to have the opportunity to pass down something of value to my children the same as you. I want to know that if I work hard and follow the rules that the American Dream will be within reach.
I want to live in a country where my black skin is not a liability. I don’t want to be charged a higher rate on my car insurance because of my zip code. After all white America, you relegated me to this neighborhood. I don’t want to be gentrified out of a neighborhood where my people owned homes for decades and ultimately had to leave because of exponentially high property taxes. I want to be able to vote for the leader of my choice and not experience oppression when that individual is not the leader of choice for white America. I know these actions are part of the master plan. I want to be able to know that young, black men in my family will live to be old black men and not have their lives cut short by modern-day slave patrols.
I want to live in a country where law and order is not a code word for the free reign to dispense the law differently for African Americans. . I want all black people to live a long, healthy life and not be subjected to disparate health services because of their blackness. I want my happiness while I’m here on earth and do not want to wait until I get to heaven to experience it. I find it quite astounding that in 2021 all of the aforementioned “wants” are still issues in the black community. In the words of former President Ronald Reagan (whom I know you can relate to) “I wish to appeal to your best hopes, not your worst fears”. White America do you hear me? Do you see me?
The ultimate desire that I have for my life is that my children and grandchildren will live in a country where they won’t be seen as not deserving, less than, not equal, and “not enough” by the majority population. Hopefully, there will come a time when we as African Americans are judged based on as Martin Luther King Jr. said “The content of our character and not the color of our skin”. Only then will we as African Americans truly become “All American”. My gains in life absolutely, positively do not take anything away from you white America. My God is a God of plenty. The late soul singer James Brown said “I don’t want nobody to give me nothing, open up the door I’ll get it myself”.
Is this too much to ask? There is enough to go around for everyone to have a piece of the American pie. Live and let live.
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Submitted by: Dianne Cleveland-Sharp/Team VMGREVIEW Contributor
VMGREVIEW.COM
Marvin Dixon/Founder
VMG Review 