Today’s post is personal and written from my lens as a Black woman in America, so if it seems there are generalizations in what I am about to say, it’s because this is my personal truth. Can I just say that I am going through some shit that has me wondering how come I wasn’t born white? Look, I am not a self loathing Negro who hates my race, nah…went that route 20 years ago, been there, done that, got the t-shirt as Dave Ramsey would say.
Instead I wonder how come in this so-called post racial era of Obama it seems life has gotten a lot harder for all us Black folks who are not connected in someway to the great Black hope that currently resides in the White House. (Damn, if only I had been able to afford the better hairdresser back in Chicago, maybe I could have met Michelle O and got a job….I used to go to the same hair salon as the First Lady, but she saw the pricier stylist and I saw the cheapest one in the already overpriced salon but I digress).
Folks like to say but we have Obama, racism is dead. Really? Well according to this lovely article which reflects a lot of what I am dealing with right now. It seems you can be a Black person who follows the societal approved path for success, college, etc and still end up underemployed or unemployed. Yes, I know many whites are facing the same fate but the unemployment rates for Blacks are well above that of whites so we really cannot compare the two races in this matter. See, in America most Black folks would agree that our path to success and creating wealth since most of us do not have generational wealth already built up, depends on us going to college and getting a good job. Problem is getting a good job is a lot harder than one would imagine.
See, in America, you can be a Black person with multiple degrees from good schools and sadly you still might not earn as much as a white guy who didn’t finish college. Shit, you might even realize Mister No Degrees is your boss? How about that? Now on a practical note, it helps to have the ability to earn a living sans a job, in other words by marketing your own skills directly to folks in need. I have done this in the past, working with small non-profits giving advice and assisting with grants. It was a life saver a while ago, and I highly encourage everyone to work on their hustle skills…never know when you will need them.
Yet if you are a Black person who still believes in the American dream and that you too can have a slice of the pie. Well the answer is screw a college education, read books, go to museums on your own. No, what you really need is a white suit, or maybe some of Sammy Sosa’s skin rejuvenation treatments. I was trying to figure out how much whiteness could I have bought with the amount spent on my degrees? Let’s see at last check with interest it seems my undergrad and graduate degrees cost $112,000. I think for that kind of loot, there is someone out there would have at least turned me into a Jennifer Lopez colored babe.
Look, I know I am taking a joking approach to a rather unpleasant situation but sometimes I think we have to find the humor in these moments or else we will snap.
Look, I know it sounds crazy, but imagine if someone created a realistic white suit? Too dark to get a foot in the door, no problem. Slip into your handy dandy white suit. b