Is your fear Color coded?

“It is a sign of great inner insecurity to be hostile to the unfamiliar” … Anais Nin. 

Have you ever been afraid of anything? If you have, then you will understand the terror that accompanies the fear or threat of survival including the fight or flight response (adrenaline release) your body initiates when fear is imminent. You know, people struggle with fear/phobias, such as fear of closed spaces (claustrophobia), fear of spiders (arachnophobia), and fear of enclosed public spaces (agoraphobia) and we can never be sure of the reaction one gets when faced with fear.

As a black foreign individual in America, I have been subjected to xenophobia (fear of foreigners), and Negrophobia (if that’s even a word) (fear of black people) and I can’t help but ponder if their fear is valid with a physiological fight or flight response or if their fear is skin deep, color-coded and ingrained in ignorance and insecurity.

For instance, while I was an undergrad in the south ( long before the era of smartphones, LOL!  Don’t try to guess my age!), a friend and I walked into a grocery store, and they had security trail us the whole shopping trip to make sure we didn’t shoplift. I thought ok! It’s the south, and once I cross the Mason-Dixon line into the Northeast, things will be better, right? Boy! Was I wrong! 

Trending now thanks to the age of social media, the whole world is privy to this racial profiling that always existed. We are dealing with folks who constantly in their entitlement feel threatened and call the Cops for reasons still not validated because people of color are sitting quietly in Starbucks chatting in Philadelphia, having a BBQ in the park in Oakland, CA, black Airbnb guests in Rialto, CA, and the Yale graduate student for napping in common dorm areas. 

The question is, are you threatened for your safety or does your subconscious feel uncomfortable that people of color are no longer sitting at the back of the bus, secluded to specific neighborhoods, and have a separate door entering buildings?

You are all warm and cozy inside when people of color are your doormen, maids, busboys, and nannies but feel endangered when you view them as a physician, in a suit and holding an intelligent conversation. Some of the questions we face daily as people of color are: Will I get home alive today if pulled over by the cops? How do I keep my composure at work when they come for me (trying not to give an unprofessional clap back, lol)? It is a daily struggle because they harass you, expecting violence and combative behavior which they use as an excuse to engage in reproachable acts. 

But you know the funniest thing, the only time they are willing to accept us is when we are entertaining them such as Football, basketball, music, comedy, and fashion. If they all loved black people like they loved black culture, wouldn’t the world be a better place? Don’t even get me started on culture appropriation!

Here’s food for thought for you, why is that when an individual of color is stopped by the police and the police feel threatened, they shoot to kill not to disarm, but when our resident home-grown terrorists carry out mall/school shootings, they shoot to disarm and credit the behavior to mental health. 

Should I proceed? Then there’s the all lives matter campaign. Well here’s a newsflash for ya! if all lives did matter then the black lives matter wouldn’t have sprung. And the #BlackLivesMatter movement doesn’t mean “Only black lives matter.” This is a campaign for people to stay woke and be aware of the police brutality, social injustices, and institutional racism plaguing us. Keep in mind that being pro-black does not mean anti-white. We just want to stay woke and educate others to be cognizant of the injustices thrown our way and how to handle them. Why do you feel threatened?

To my people of color, let me say this in the words of John Lennon “Don’t play the system's game by using violence because once they got you violent, they know how to handle you and the only thing they don’t know how to handle is non-violence and humor.” But it's hard to be humorous when the people who are sworn to serve and protect you pose a threat to your very existence because of the color of your skin, nationality or religious group you belong to. 

Dear white people allow me to impart some knowledge upon your intellect. Your ignorance and entitlement stem from deeper insecurities than you can ever fathom. And please don’t confuse Xenophobia and Negrophobia with patriotism because it diminishes the very sense of perception that you gladly disseminate upon others as a superior race. 

Being a minority does not automatically cast reasonable suspicion because that thought infringes on our very constitutional rights, yet as part of your bullying tactic and entitlement, you continuously utilize the power of the police to oppress and dominate the narrative. You know what they say about bullying, right? Those who stand by and do nothing are also involved in this intimidating conduct.

 “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen” … Winston Churchill. 

As a black foreign national, I find it hilarious when people are xenophobic because your car is German, your Liquor is Russian (Vodka), your pizza is Italian, your coffee is Colombian/Ethiopian, your cocoa beans is Cameroonian, your gyros/kebobs are Middle Eastern, your oil is Saudi Arabian, and your electronics are Chinese. Boy Bye!

“For those of you who are tired of hearing about racism, imagine how much more tired we are constantly experiencing it” … Barbara Smith.