Excuse Me Little “Black” Girl—Part 2
Rock-a-bye baby in the tree top…. Excuse me little “Black” girl, I wonder about you. YES, YOU! I wonder how many of you have experienced a period of peace, a time when you had no worries and was carefree. I wonder if you have two loving parents, parents who often tell and show you that they love you. Do you tell and show them that you love them? YES, I mean ACTUALLY SAY the words: I-LOVE-YOU-Mom-Dad. Do you come from a loving home, a place where you are valued and protected, encouraged and supported, challenged and taught? Is your foundation solid or is it shallow? I wonder…about you.
When the wind blows the cradle will rock…. Have you experienced bullying–on the playground or in the classroom? Have you ever been picked last because you are a girl? Has a teacher overlooked your raised hand to call on Jim, not that his hand was raised but because he should know science? Have you ever been teased for being too light or too dark, for not being Black enough? Have you been told that you think you are white, talk like you are white, act like you are white? Have you struggled to understand what this means, and what this really means for you? Do you embrace your uniqueness or do you try to fit in? When the wind blows, what do you do?
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall…. I wonder if you are aware of the injustices that await you in this world–injustices related to your gender, to your race, to your gender and to your race. I wonder about your preparation for being a healthy, well-balanced being operating in a world that defines so much around gender, race, and economics. I wonder about your preparation as I think about my own.
You see, there is a need to introduce race and gender scenarios to you in safe environments so you can ask questions and get answers, so you will learn to analyze matters for yourself without depending on media messages and mainstream citations to parrot. As you go forth to be boldly brilliant, you will see some heart aching events. Some, you will experience firsthand. Allow yourself to grow in maturity, to experience a range of emotion. Grow in patience and in perseverance. Being you, being Black and female, is not a bad thing. It is a blessed thing. You will gain insight and strength unlike no other. You will see that storylines have been created for you, but that you are created to create headlines. Write your own script once you have captured their attention. Be open to diverse friendships. Live outside of confined narratives. When the bough breaks, change the ending. Surprise some people and soar!
emergingfree 
Excuse Me Little “Black” Girl—Part 3
A school teacher….Maybe? I do love learning.
A nurse….Nope! Needles make me queasy.
An attorney….Can I really be one?
Left alone…. You smiled! I saw you. Sorry though. Excuse me little “Black” girl, but I can’t afford to do that. You can’t afford for me to do that! One day you will better understand.
“You can become whatever you want,” they say.
“Dream big and believe bigger,” they cheer.
“Work hard,” they instruct.
Then what?
Where are people talking about unfair situations that occur because of your gender and race? How do you make sense of discriminatory practices that are systemic when so many continue to buy into the social construct designed to define you as property, on both counts? How do you maintain your innocence about people and possibility when news outlets make a lucrative business by branding the worse of mankind—of all shades and both genders? Then, of course, there is that day when you realize that the Pledge you excitedly learned to recite in pre-school seems to have loss its meaning to so many who:
Although your parents try to shelter you, unfortunately that day is still being introduced to you. So, what is a girl to do?
Recently, an elderly Black woman heard me talking about some concerns. I did not know her prior to my presentation, but afterwards she said something so heartfelt.
“Sorry,” she gently whispered, “we dropped the ball.”
WOW! I was speechless.
“You, however,” she continued, “must keep doing what you are doing and we will help.” She then shared with me some networking information.
So to you, when you ask what is a girl to do?
I respond by relying upon our elder’s instruction, YOU MUST keep doing what you are doing and we will help.