“DEAR FRIEND, I WANTED TO TAKE SOME TIME TO EXPLAIN SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES I HAVE BEEN THRO…”

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DEAR FRIEND, I WANTED TO TAKE SOME TIME TO EXPLAIN SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES I HAVE BEEN THROUGH IN MY LIFE. I NEED TO LET YOU THAT I DON'T GET TO LIVE MY LIFE IN THE SAME MANNER THAT EVERYONE ELSE DOES. THE REASON FOR THIS IS MY SKIN COLOR. I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T FACE THESE ISSUES SINCE YOU ARE PART OF THE MAJORITY. I HOPE THAT YOU CAN HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND NOT BELIEVE THAT I'M MERELY PLAYING THE RACE CARD. I BELIEVE YOU CAN AND I KNOW OUR FRIENDSHIP WILL GROW BECAUSE OF IT. I FEEL THAT THE WORLD SEES A SUSPECT BEFORE I EVEN ENTER THE ROOM. WHENEVER I ENTER A ROOM FULL OF WHITE PEOPLE I NOTICE THAT THE ENERGY CHANGES EVERY TIME. THE CONVERSATION AND THE ATTITUDES SHIFT IN A MANNER DESIGNED TO EITHER MAKE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE OR UNCOMFORTABLE AS THE BLACK GUY. I HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO RACIST COMMENTS, JOKES, AND IMAGES ON MANY OCCASSIONS. I WAS ONCE SHOWN AN IMAGE OF A YOUNG BLACK BOY STRUGGUNG TO READ IN SCHOOL ON ANOTHER FRIEND'S PHONE. THE CARTOON UNDER THE PHOTO READ "ANOTHER NIGGER THAT CAN'T READ." HE SHOWED ME THIS WHILE LAUGHING AND HE EXPECTED ME TO DO THE SAME. I FELT HUMILIATED, SMALL, AND INVISIBLE. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT I LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE I WAS FORCED TO FAKE A SMALL CHUCKLE SO THAT MY SO-CALLED FRIEND WOULDN'T FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE. DO MY FEELINGS MATTER? DO PEOPLE MATTER? ANOTHER TIME WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER, I WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE TO GET HIRED TO BAG GROCERIES. THE WHITE MALE MANAGER NOT ONLY DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT ME, HE IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME THEY WEREN'T HIRING, NEVERMIND THE FACT THAT I SAW NEW WHITE HIRES WHEN I WENT TO THAT SAME STORE A WEEK LATER. WHEN I TOLD MY STEPFATHER ABOUT IT, HE LITERALY CUSSED ME OUT FOR HAVING CORNROWS AT THE TIME! SO MY STEPFATHER BOESN'T RESPECT MY RACE AND NEITHER DOES THE WHITE GROCERY MANAGER. APPARENTLY THE YOUNG BLACK MAN IS A COMMON PROBLEM. I LITERALLY FELT THE WEIGHT OF WHITE OPPRESSION ON ALL SIDES! WHY DOES IT MATTER WHAT MY HAIR LOOKS LIKE AS LONG AS IT'S NEAT AND CLEAN? I'VE SEEN WHITE MEN HAIR THAT WAS DIRTY AND DISHEVELED AND THEY WERE PROMOTED AND MADE MANAGERS. I HAD AN INCIDENT WITH THE POLICE ONCE. I ONCE LIVED IN AN APARTMENT BUILDING WITH TWO WHITE ROOMATES. SOMEONE ON THE FLOOR BELOW US WAS COOKING METH AND BLEW OUR BUILDING UP! THANKFULLY NONE OF US WERE INJURED BUT THE BUILDING WENT UP IN FLAMES! WHEN THE COPS CAME THEY QUICKLY SEPARATED ME FROM MY FRIENDS AND STARTED INTERROGATING ME! IF IT WASN'T FOR MY WHITE FEMALE ROOMMATE TELLING THEM TO STOP I MIGHT HAVE GONE TO JAIL. I FELT THAT IT WAS UNFAIR THAT I WAS MADE TO FEAR INCARCERATION JUST BECAUSE OF HOW I LOOK. WHY WAS MY WHITE ROOMATE LITERALLY ALOUD TO SCREAM AT THE COPS WITH NO CONSEQUENCES? THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO MY PAIN AND STRUGGLE. YOUR CONCERNED FRIEND.

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