If You're Good At Anything--EXPECT To Be Hated!

Can we just be real today?

Many of you are in college and you're busy at work on your future careers. However, some of you are still trying to figure out what your path should be.

However, there are those rare people who just seem to be extremely driven, focused and determined to achieve success. When they do, one of the things that they discover is how often even family and friends treat them.

Let's just face it: folks really do have a crabs-in-a-barrel mentality and can't stand to see other people succeed.

Are you going through that? Or do you know someone who is?

Only YOU can make your life work. It's no one else's responsibility if you fail. You get exactly what you settle for in life.

Sometimes it's the people that some hang around that stifle their growth. Other times, it's the lack of confidence, discipline and hard work that is necessary.

I'm one of the few people in the world who actually love to brag about other people succeeding--especially if I know them. I'm a natural motivator and it just gets me hyped to see a person achieving in life.

But that's rare...however, I'd like to encourage those here who are trying to achieve something in life--hold on to your dreams, believe in yourself and don't allow the petty HATE of slackers get you down.

Just remember, Jesus was hated too--and he was perfect.

I Never BIG UP My Mixed Ancestry....

For many years, I can't tell you how many times I've had people look at me and literally say, "are you mixed?" I've been asked if I was Creole or mixed with American Indian by African Americans. Some Latinos assumed I was Puerto Rican or something. One Mexican guy insisted that I was mixed in a conversation with his wife.

But the question I ask: How can you know if someone has mixed ancestry by looking at them? Only DNA can verify that for sure...and really, for those of us who are of African descent; having this kind of background gives those within the culture a false sense of superiority--foolishly thinking it will give ingratiate them with whites.

For the record, I do have American Indian, European, and Latin in my ancestry, but I identify as African American. That's it. Other than here, I just don't talk about it. I'm completely indifferent about it. My mind is focused on social issues impacting African Americans and others of African descent. Not superficial hegemony and phenotype that in many regards, has been a curse to Black people than a blessing.

When President Obama's heritage was reported, all of a sudden, websites around the globe appeared to empower mixed race children to higher pursuits. Really? Isn't this an oxymoron, historically? It's well documented how white slave masters would educate their mullato offspring. These children were often treated better by whites. In America, it would shock people who call themselves Black (even those Blacks with only an 1/8 of African blood)--the one drop rule, but when the government changed the racial classification in 2000, allowing people to claim other racial/ethnic origins; it distorted this rule all together.

However, I'm very proud by nature and I resent anyone trying to pull the skin game when interacting or representing my community to whites.

The problem with many Black people is not that we were born of African origins; it's that so many still believe that we are inferior because of it.

I thank God every single day for blessing me to be a Black woman.

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