Black Woman Disclosed

I am a black woman, with an undergraduate degree from an HBCU, an MBA from a PWI, who’s been in corporate America for 22 years. I’m a divorced mom who has raised my children in the best neighborhoods where they’ve had the privilege of attending the best private and public schools. I have wonderful family and friends who know and love me, and my church family is beautiful. By the definition of the American Dream, I guess I’ve accomplished that. But have I?

Just like Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor…my skin is of the same hue… and I too have suffered from that. I left Howard University, strong and proud of my culture. I thrived at George Washington University because of my foundation at Howard. Then I entered Corporate America. The majority of my colleagues and clients didn’t look like me…but they were great! Many, from all races, have become my friends for life. But I soon learned that there were those who didn’t know me, didn’t want to know me, didn’t respect that I was there, acted like I wasn’t there, didn’t like my authenticity, judged me before I could convince them that I was a ‘good’ person and, despite my performance, worked to sabotage me just for being ‘me’ from the start. Unfortunately, those people were all of the same ‘lighter’ persuasion.

Then there were the neighbors who pre-judged me, called the police when I had a birthday party for my kid because they felt threatened by the amount of cars at my house; the police who pulled me over for no reason and spoke to me as if I wasn’t human until he found out that I was a professional black woman with a ‘good’ job; and the retail owner who, sarcastically, expressed to my face that my spouse must play for the NFL when I used my own discretionary income to make a purchase. These are only a few examples, I could go on.

As I think about my two daughters and the state of America, it saddens me. Will they too have to go through what I have endured? I grew up reading about Medgar Evers and Emmett Till. As a child, I thought that was a part of history, surely, I was living in better times. But 65 years later, that hatred is still so deeply rooted. It’s painful to see and deal with on a daily basis. I’m so thankful to have had a real encounter with the Lord, Jesus Christ over 15 years ago!

It was through Him that I was able to forgive. Forgiveness is something that I’ve learned to practice over and over again. So even though I weep for what has happened to me. I weep for what has happened to Ahmaud, George, Breonna and all the rest. I also weep for the foolish… those that are full of hate. I, especially, weep for those that deny the fact that they are full of it! It’s time for change! Join me in prayer, forgiveness and RECONCILIATION. Racism, Bitterness and Hatred is an enemy to YOU and to your generations! I’m here to say, I LOVE you….Even if you HATE me! In the end… I WIN, WE CAN WIN because LOVE WINS!