To those of you who read this. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. To those that do not. I thank you to. This is not an article of judgment. It is also not one of forgiveness. If anything, it is one of hope. It is one of change. I write this with a heavy heart. I write this with eyes that should be clouded and leaking.
I am an African-American. To people of other colors and races, I write this to you. However, if you are a white person then please do not avert your eyes to what I say. For it is for you that I write a message of hope for.
I have not been on this Earth for long. Of my people’s history, I probably know even less. People are equal in my eyes, and I believe that it is the actions of a person that define who they are. However, in this day and age. In these trying times of building and mounting tensions, where all it needs is a spark for everything to burn down. It is hard to not associate certain things with certain people. It saddens me that slowly but surely and with an ever increasing stride that we are marching toward trying and evil days.
My race I must admit need to get it together more than most. I also must admit that we stop ourselves more than others. It is hard to be an African-American these days. This is an unfortunate fact that I must regrettably agree with.
My father gives me a certain piece of advice. Oh yes, he tells me a lot of things that will help me with my life. However, there is only one thing that he told me that I truly call advice. It is this “Son, you have to be without a doubt better than everybody else when you go in for a job. Because being just as good does not cut it. If you’re just as good as a white guy, and the employer is white, which they most likely will be, then you most likely won’t be chosen.” Believe it or not, I hate when my father says this. But as I go out in the world. It is sad to see that it is true.
White people, those of European ancestry. I hope for your souls. I hope for your character. I hope for your integrity. You have wronged us in the past. It might be even possible that at one time or another, if you had your way then we would not be here today. Lust, pride, greed, gluttony, anger, envy, and sloth. These seven main sins that you yourselves came up with are something that your ancestry is guilty of when it concerns mine. Oh yes, there may have been times when you helped us out. There may have been times when you have even saved us. But if you think that it absolves you of anything, then you’re simply wrong.
Misuse, abuse, lies, and betrayal are your weapons. You hide the truth behinds a system and an age old organization of conspiracy, deceit, and half-truths. However, for the white man or woman…I do not wish harm on you. I wish hope for you instead.
After all, I cannot give forgiveness for things of the past. I can not do this since it is not mine to give. I cannot forgive you for the truth you have hidden. I cannot forgive you for the slavery. I can not forgive you for Rowanda. I cannot forgive you for the Civil Rights Movement. I cannot forgive you for the thievery. I cannot forgive you for the slander. I cannot forgive you for your system. I cannot forgive you for your condescending thinking. I cannot forgive you for your holier than thou attitude. Those are things of the past and I must focus on the present and the future.
With that in mind, I hope for you. I hope you learn from past mistakes. From the guilt, the shame, and the misery that you have felt for what your ancestors have done to us. I write this to hope that someone may change and become a better person as we all can.
I know this will most likely change nothing. You may even forget this by the time the day is through. However, if you felt something at least for a single moment in a small sliver of time.
Then I believe there is hope.
God bless you all. May you have a wonderful and fulfilling life.
