The Race Card from a Minority Moms point of view

This was not what I set out to write about today. This is not where I like my writing to go too often.
But today these points were triggered in my mind...


-looking like the person or persons who did it allows for you to serve about 7 to 14 years of your life in prison only to find out, guess what they were indeed innocent, you robbed them of their youth and think that saying your sorry and paying out some money is enough.
-watching a woman being wrestled to the ground by policemen is no big deal.
-beating a migrant worker because you feel he is taking your job is just another day in your life.
-stop and frisk just because you look suspicious is no big deal.
-pulling over a mother and her children at gunpoint in a highway is all in a days work.
-being targeted, ostracized and even beatin by those who deem you are out to kill them because your religion calls for you to wear certain clothes is not something we should question.
-being shot several times in broad day light even from the back, then being left to die like a dog in the street is no cause for concern.
-watching a man dying in front of you is not proof enough. Hearing someone gasping for air shouting "I can't breathe" is not enough to stop you for a brief moment and have your humanity kick in.

 AND last but not least...
-watching a 7 minute video of a 12 year old boy in a park dropping to the ground getting shot by a policeman doesn't say to you ENOUGH is ENOUGH we need to start talking?

This post will touch on a few things that perhaps some don't want to hear let alone read if that is you press delete or move on to the next big sale offer going on at the moment.

Let's continue, this post is coming from a woman and a minority at that. 

I never play these cards. I've always been open to benefit of the doubt...always. 

To the point that I've been told by some closest to me that I live in denial. 

But when you are of the mindset that in general, everything should be fare and we should respect all you try your best to not lump all things together. 

I was sitting in my office when the latest breaking news came over the radio on the Eric Garner case.

This is the NYC case in which a police officer uses a chock hold to subdue a gentleman suspected of engaging in an illegal act. No Indictment.

I am not going to ramble on about the law or about he should have, she should have, they should have.
I am going to talk to you as a MOTHER.

Whether we care to admit it or not RACISM does EXIST. Some my feel it more than others and some areas may experience it more than others but it does EXIST. The sooner we admit it and bring it to light and talk about it, the sooner we can find ways to either end it all together or cope with it without people dying.

I have "so called" 2 strikes against me I am Latina and I am a Women but what about my cousins, nieces and nephews, friends and other family members who are mixed race? I have cousins who are are African American I have friends who are African American. My family has a variety of shades.
As a mom how do I deal with the fact that my cousins or nephews could get killed because their skin color is not light enough? That they "look" like they don't belong in such in such neighborhood. That they scared someone because they were speaking too loudly?

As a MOTHER how do I justify having to raise the boys in my family a little differently than the way another mother has to raise her son? As a MOTHER how can I ever be ok with my daughter being looked at as LESS than the next person?

Being Dominican we come in all shades, as many races do. I have said in the past I am the "negra" in the family, the "dark/black one". I have 3 brothers and 2 have blonde hair with green and blue eyes.
Imagine me walking down the street and being picked on because I am different than them and they seem to fit in but I don't?

Why is the idea of lighter skin better? Why is "WHITE" better? What makes one color one race BETTER than the next?

All life is valuable. Everyone matters.

The American Dream is only for "White" people? The United States of America is only livable if you are light skin? America is only for those who look and act the same?
We are a nation build on the backs of others, others so called "outsiders".
RACISM has been around for a very long time.

We must talk about it or continue to be killed if you are found to be "less than".

As a Latin woman, as a mom I shouldn't have to tell anyone in my family or any of my friends to be extra careful when they go out or when they travel or when they just sit in a car BUT I do.
As a Latin woman, as a mom I shouldn't have to talk about certain topics in regards to dating BUT I do.
As a Latin woman, as a mom I shouldn't have to even think about skin color issues and how it could effect those I love BUT I do.

This is not a I HATE WHITE PEOPLE thing. This is not a ALL WHITE PEOPLE bash. This is a PREJUDICE does exist THING and stop closing your eyes to it!

This is a Mother who loves her daughter just as any other mother does. This is a Mother who could have had a darker skin child and because of that the life span could have been cut shorter. This is a Mother who doesn't want to keep seeing other mother's crying over their dead children!

All life is valuable. Everyone matters.

We all bleed the same, we all have dreams, we all love.

You are no better than "just because" your skin is "lighter".

RACISM does EXIST. Admit it, accept it...NOW let's talk and do something about it.

What say you?

Always stress free and with some extra love xo.