In the current climate we are living in most people are afraid to have open dialogue with individuals who are different than they are. Hence creating all sorts of phobias, and racial indifferences.
The fact of the matter is we are all different. Each and everyone of us celebrates our respective heritages differently. I believe most of the times animosity and dissension is caused by individuals not speaking candidly about the issues and things they do not understand which makes us all unique.
At times people act in hostile ways because they want to understand but they are never given the opportunity to emote constructively. So, it becomes easier to be hateful, vengeful, and eventually they lash out.
We are living in times where through conversation, transparency and mindfulness, understanding can be found amongst many various ethnic groups.
Take for instance my family, at times I find them a tad dramatic in all their old fashioned ways. Just like many parents in America, when they are faced with their daughter’s dating certain individuals they cringe because it is not the norm and certainly not what they are accustomed to.
There is not a father in the universe who does not freak out when some lad rolls up in a heavily tinted SUV with pants practically drooping around his ankles with bad boy jargon to go with the persona.
My biological father is no different, except what makes his objections to certain characters stand out is the fact it is chalked up to cultural differences. Many old time Jamaicans have a difficult time comprehending the ways of certain Black American customs.
The truth be told, there is only a small percentage who actually act in an outlandish manner. However, having lived in a Caribbean environment I can certainly attest to the alarmist nature of old fashioned Jamaicans when their children take a jaunt on the wild side. They literally go into panic mode.
This is because they truly do not comprehend a good part of the Black American heritage therefore it causes them to go into disciplinarian mode because they somehow feel they have failed their children.
My sisters generally misconstrue my father’s deep concerns as him being prejudiced towards certain groups when in fact, he is just trying to understand how his daughters could gravitate towards suitors who cause him to wonder if they are on the verge of a psychotic break of some sort.
He would probably act over the top even if it was a Jamaican suitor who appeared to be too outlandish. My biological father is as conservative and persnickety as they come and he pays attention to everything. He especially notices paramours who seem a bit on the shady side of the spectrum.
My middle sister is the sort of person who thrives on participating in the things and people who cause feathers to fly in the family. She is the type who will befriend the person you are not fond of, or consort with individuals she knows will stir things up a bit.
Lately, she has chosen to define herself as a BAP aka Black American Princess because she knows it will irritate my dad to no end. But that really isn’t her only reason. You see she would much rather enlist the thugs from the community to lord it over everyone and in many ways she has sought to have them put my father under manners just so she can have her own way.
Most of her life my sister disassociated herself from anything black because she much rather preferred to celebrate the caucasian side of life. Many times she used to scoff at me for having Black American friends but the moment she figured out she could use the situation to gain leverage let’s just say, she got on the bandwagon and even sought out my ex-friends to help her roll out her diabolical agenda.
I was often the one my family made fun of because I sought to understand people from all ethnicities. At times both my family and fellow countrymen felt I was a sell-out for not finding solace within my own ethnicity and heritage.
The fact is, I found it interesting that Black Americans made many cultural activities quite fun and entertaining so from a creative standpoint, part of their culture was definitely worth reviewing. Unlike my sister I did not have any ulterior motives or was not trying to use my associations to bamboozle my family.
My sibling has decided to get on the “soul train” because she knows some of her interactions will tick my dad off tremendously. In her world she believes that is the only way to gain leverage. No one sees through the smoke screen because she is that good an actress.
My sister has lived her whole life doing the opposite of everything my father has told her to do just to get under his skin. After I came in the picture she even found it more necessary to rebel as some sort of payback for my existence.
For now she feels her antics are working and she is getting the desired results but in time the masks will fall off and the people she has enlisted to join her “cause” will soon realize they have been played well.
Fighting For My Life Memoir 