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"It's just like when you've got some coffee that's too black, which means it's too strong. What you do? You integrate it with cream; you make it weak. If you pour too much cream in, you won't even know you ever had coffee. It used to be hot, it becomes cool. It used to be strong, it becomes weak. It used to wake you up, now it'll put you to sleep..." -Malcolm X

WE (as a people) have to learn to get past our reasoning, you know, as in proving we matter.  As long as the reasoning trumps knowing and we act in order to prove it to others, that will be what is constant.  As a people, we keep doing the same things repeatedly, expecting the same results--we matter, justice, etc.  I’m not knocking the plight, but why do we act according to the belief that these things do not already belong to us.  We’ve come so far and yet we’re still begging to be seen, heard, and accepted.  Some of us are still operating as beggars with slave and entitlement mentalities.  We shout how wrong slavery was, but whine that we should be given “passes” because of it, but expect not to be treated as slaves.   Can you not see the cycle of continued enslavement this would create?  Can you not see the how the expectation of inclusion is like asking for permission to do or have?  

Hasn't resilience, endurance, and long suffering taught that which we know/need/have is within us?  Do we not already KNOW we matter and therefore should act as such--the expectation of belonging to a society that is so hell-bent on exclusion is ridiculous!  I mean, when placed in an uncomfortable situation, should my first thought be "how can I fit in" to remain comfortable or remove myself because I'm uncomfortable?  “Fit in?” Nah, I’ll pass, I've always gone against the grain, which has also left my character assassinated as defiant, rebellious, cantankerous, or angry... but I know I am a nonconformist.  See, I know my purpose in this world is not to try to "fit in," especially with a world that doesn't accept me, doesn’t know me, and chooses to control me... my purpose is to understand why some people are so insistent to shut me out, hold me down, or stop me and then work to destroy their agendas reacting in accordance with that alone.  I have always believed in me even when I didn't know what I truly believed--that’s how knowing works!

As a person of color, there has always been something in me raising me to higher standard, calling me out from unconsciousness--the purpose and destiny for all of us is greater than what any method is produced to destroy destiny, but we get caught in the "why" or being treated as equal when the destiny isn't for equal treatment, it's always been for us to remember what we already KNOW to be true and rise above. The focus shouldn't be on inclusion, but rather exclusion… we spend so much time planning, organizing, then assembling and for what, to fall right back into the same pattern of proving to others that we too belong--when are we really going to step into the KNOWING!

I honor the feat of those that have paved the way, but as long as we keep fighting to just "have our say,” or “ belonging,” we will never experience the higher purpose.  I believe that people of color are chosen I believe that we are a purposed to lead and not follow, to teach and instead of learn, and I believe that we are to rise above vs fitting in.  

And, so as I began this conversation with a quote from Malcolm X, I will conclude with a quote mis-attributed to Malcolm X, "A man, who stands for nothing, will fall for anything."  I believe his intent behind the quote was people who don't have a strong belief system, would believe anything that they are told and would more than likely change what they believe with each new idea, trend, or popular rhetoric.  Have we added too much cream to coffee? Have we fallen for anything?