Hey! I'm Black and in America, too...

I just want to start off by thanking Soledad O'Brian and producers for their wonderful work on the Black in America special.

I feel like for the first time, Americans where finally able to see the diversity of Black people, and the different types of Black people in America, and not just one side--the stereotypical one we always see in movies and on the news.

The title of this post is a reaction. It's a reaction to some of the negative stereotypes out there that I have to deal with day to day being a Black person.

Exploring the behind the scenes footage of this production, I was surprised to find that the senior executive producer was a White man. Now this was interesting...
If your reading this right now, and wondering what the---? Then, you need to check out this video:


I'm just so happy that some media (and CNN!!) finally captured the middle-class Black Americans that people oustide our race hardly ever get to see. Or maybe they do see us in their neighborhoods or in their shopping centers, but choose to cling to a certain stereotype they see on TV about us instead of realizing that there are different Black people just like there are different groups of any other race. We're not the same.



But thanks to this documentary, perhaps people can realize that, "Hey! I'm Black and in America, too...just because i don't behave "Black" in certain areas doesn't mean i'm not. And what does behaving 'Black' really mean anyway? Why can't I just behave American?

Poor boy at Wakefield High...

This was an interesting, but terribly sad story I read today about a boy who came out as gay in the sixth grade, and continues to be ridiculed even now as he's 15 years old. I encourage you to read it; it really moved me.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/13/AR2008071302066.html


However, my jaw dropped after reading this statement made by the principle at his school that I read in the article:

Doris Jackson, the principal of Wakefield, said the
school does not tolerate bullying for any reason. "To me, it's more than having
a policy and enforcing it. It's establishing an environment of tolerance of
everyone," she said, adding that the school even provides a separate restroom
for a transgender student so the person is not forced to use the girl's room or
boy's room. "When we say we are very diverse, people think racially. But we are
diverse racially, culturally, [by] sexual orientation and socio-economic level.
Being gay here doesn't set you apart. You're just another kid with something
about you that is unique."

I was taken back by her mentioning a separate restroom for transgenders. My first thought was, "Woa, what if this didn't happen in just high schools across the nation, but in other public facilities as well? Will there be designated transgender restrooms?"

If so, what would they look like? (I dare not to go there...lol)


My second though was, "What in the world would a high school need with a separate restroom for transgendered CHILDREN?!" This means there must be some kids who are transgenered in that high school for her to even make a statement like that, and open up that can of worms.

Do the parents know about this?

AND

Doesn't that open up room for that kid to be ridiculed if he or she is "transgenered"? Other kids will see them go into that restroom. Yeah, then they wouldn't have to choose (b/t men or women), but wouldn't that sort of outcast them?