Stressor Black on Black Racism

As a child you look at everyone the same and you learn to like or dislike a person because of the way they treat you and not by the color of their skin. I recall the first time as a child that I was called the N word. My mother and I was at a local store shopping and this little white child said mommy mommy look at that N. Our parents just looked at one another and we quietly went our merry ways. My parents never taught us to dislike someone because of their color. What I learned about racism as a child came from television and peers. I copied by not reacting negative to the comment or starting a fight with the other child. Today I tell my neices and nephews not to give power to the N word even though it is common in the African American community to call each other the N word.

Black on Black racism is a topic that has intrigued me the most as I become older here in America. I am considered a dark skinned person in the African American community and it has baffled my all my life how some blacks who skin color is lighter than mine think that they are better than me. What is ironic about it is that people would say that I acted white. In elementary school thru high school most of my classes were 80% white. Most of my experiences in school were with my white classmates. At home my friends and even today my family and friends say that I talk white. I have learned that my skin color were different but not my character and attitude toward other people and I think this is my cognitive way of dealing with racism both in the black community and the world.