In my opinion, as a young 20-something Black American woman, these are the 10 traits to go by to prove that you are indeed worthy of holding your “Black Card”. I’ve heard different opinions and seen different videos on the matter, but all of them are trivial based upon Black American Pop Culture. Non-Black people know about those things too (even more than a Black individual in some cases). There are certain factors to take into consideration that truly confirm that you identify with our culture on a personal level and to the extent that you live it every single day! I’m aware of and personally know people who are not Black that feel that they understand Black people and their struggles in American society, but they will never truly fathom it. They can extend their sympathy and wishes for a better world, but they will never experience it unless GOD gives them a Supernatural Encounter or Dream where they wake up one morning and realize their Black then experience how they are looked upon and treated. And it doesn’t matter where on the financial food change you fall: lower, middle, upper class. We’ve all gotten a taste of discrimination. Maybe not everyday, but it is weekly. We’re sensitive to it and we know when someone of another race is reminding us that we’re Black; like don’t forget you’re still a N*%%@R! I’ve been called chocolate by a white man who thought he was being cute in an attempt to hit on me. "You’re pretty FOR A BLACK GIRL" and I’ve heard it been said that someone would rather be white and ugly than black and beautiful. NOT ME! GOD made me Black on purpose. I respect all cultures and try to love everyone equally with the Love of JESUS as a Christian (Galatians 3:28, KJV). This is how I truly identify myself first and foremost. We all bleed red and we’re all human for the most part. But I digress. Let’s jump into the list and see how you measure up! And if you’re not Black, but have Black friends/family members then share this post with them and let it spark a conversation!
(Disclaimer: the points listed below are not in any particular order of importance, but the order to which they all came to me at the time of writing.)
1. YOU’RE NOT GHETTO BUT DIGNIFIED AND RESERVED...YET LET SOMEONE COME AT YOU THE WRONG WAY!
Plus, you get offended when non-Black friends or others jokingly toss a “Hey gurl! Okay, sista! Yeah, brotha! Or anything else similar into the conversation. It only proves that they think all Black people are the same when most of us are college educated. Just talk to me how you would anyone else with dignity and respect (like I have a comprehending mind that understands more than the BET lineup on any given day)!
2. MOVED WITH TEARS OF JOY WHEN YOU SEE A SOUL TRAIN VIDEO CIRCA THE 1970S EXUDING THE BEAUTY OF OUR CULTURE IN AMERICAN SOCIETY!!!
3. THE OBVIOUS ONE: BOTH OF YOUR PARENTS ARE BLACK!
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/02/26/rachel-dolezal-white-woman-who-identifies-as-black-now-jobless-may-soon-be-homeless.html
4. YOU NOTICE WHEN YOU’RE THE ONLY BLACK PERSON IN A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE (AND YOU COUNT HOW MANY BLACK PEOPLE ARE PRESENT WHEN IT’S NOT JUST YOU)
You have to admit it! We've all done it. We don't announce it to everyone around, but it's a natural habit to take a quick glance around the room to see who's in attendance. And when another person of color (i.e. Black) enters the room you feel a ting of relief as if to say "I'm not alone". 5. YOU’VE SAT BY THE KITCHEN TOO MANY TIMES IN TOO MANY DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS FOR IT TO JUST BE A “COINCIDENCE”
Would you like a side of "segregation" to go with your appetizer? 6. YOU OWN MULTIPLE PRODUCTS FOR YOUR HAIR Spray, grease, gel, leave-in conditioner, shampoo (and/or perm), conditioner, shower cap, and all of the homemade remedies you learned from your grandmama or online (olive oil, gel from an aloe vera plant, castor oil, coconut oil, etc.) AND YOU WASH YOUR HAIR (OR GET IT DONE) WITHIN 1-2 WEEKS!
7. HIP HOP MUSIC DOESN’T DEFINE YOU NOR SOLIDIFY THAT YOU ARE “BLACK” (BUT YOU STILL KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT ITS HISTORY TO HOLD A RELEVANT CONVERSATION). I used to listen to this type of music when I was a teen because I wanted to fit in. People of other races that I have come into contact with assume that it's the only kind of music I listen to. Just because I'm Black doesn't automatically mean that I know all the words to every Drake song or own own all of Biggie's albums. But, I can still hold my own when the topic of "hip hop history" comes up in a conversation; not feeling completely out of the loop. This style of music doesn't make me who I am nor define my Blackness! 8. YOU WERE OR ARE A MEMBER OF THE NAACP (I was when I was in high school/I’m not necessarily endorsing it for anyone to join my main point is that the generation of young Black Americans today don’t even know about it and its role in history in actively working to make life better for Black Americans. We’re loosing a generation and they’re ungrateful for the pioneers that fought the fight so we can live how we are today. People complain of there not being much progress, but I bet if we resurrected some trailblazers from the Civil Rights Era they’d see the dent they’ve made! 9. YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND HOW YOU BENEFIT FROM IT; RESPECTING THE PREDECESSORS WHO PAVED THE WAY! (Pics from Harlem museum) My sisters who are 11 and 13 aren’t learning about this school and really haven’t since they began going. Black History month is a ghost and joke now like the Black hair care section at Walmart. 10. YOU’VE BEEN CALLED A N*%%@R AT LEAST ONCE (AND THE MEMORY IS BURNED WITHIN YOUR MIND). Long story short: I was 17 walking to school and a group of white teens in a broken down pickup truck shouted "Hey, n*%%@r!" at me while driving by. I could hear them laugh as they continued on. I stopped in my tracks bewildered by the happening. It was 2008! My grandmother has a similar experience from the 1940s! Very telling about the progress of racial acceptance in our country.
7. HIP HOP MUSIC DOESN’T DEFINE YOU NOR SOLIDIFY THAT YOU ARE “BLACK” (BUT YOU STILL KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT ITS HISTORY TO HOLD A RELEVANT CONVERSATION).
I've met people who were not Black that assumed that I listened to Rap/Hip Hop because I am Black. I did when I was a teen because I wanted to fit in, but then I decided to be true to myself instead of trying to fit a social opinion of how a young Black girl should be. But...I can still hold a relevant conversation on the topic without feeling completely out of the loop even if I don't know all of the words to every Drake song or own all of Biggie's albums!
8. YOU WERE OR ARE A MEMBER OF THE NAACP
I was when I was in high school. I’m not necessarily endorsing it for anyone to join. I'm neutral, I guess you could say, but my main point is that the generation of young Black Americans today don’t even know about it and its role in history (in actively working to make life better for Black Americans). We’re loosing a generation and they’re ungrateful for the pioneers that fought the fight so we can live how we are today. People complain of there not being much progress, but I bet if we resurrected some trail-blazers from the Civil Rights Era they’d see the dent they’ve made!
9. YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND HOW YOU BENEFIT FROM IT; RESPECTING THE PREDECESSORS WHO PAVED THE WAY!
My sisters who are 11 and 13 aren’t learning about this in school and really haven’t since they began going. Black History month is a ghost and joke now like the Black hair care section at Walmart!
10. YOU’VE BEEN CALLED A N*%%@R AT LEAST ONCE (AND THE MEMORY IS BURNED WITHIN YOUR MIND).
Long story short: I was 17, walking to school, and a group of white teens in a broken down pickup truck drove past me. One boy shouted "Hey, n*%%@r!" I could hear them laugh as they continued on. I stopped in my tracks, in awe at what had happened to me. It was 2008! My grandmother has a similar experience from the 1940s! It's very telling in that it reveals the extent to which progress has been made in our country.
But, to end on a lighter note, checkout this link to an interesting card game that tests the players to determine whether or not their “Black Card” should be revoked! The product boasts of offering laughter, debates, and nonsense.
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