I see colored people.

No, seriously, I do.

When I was growing up, my parents were pretty racist. And by racist, I don't actually mean racist. I just mean they hated white people and tried to keep me from them as much as possible.

I keed, I keed. But truthfully, my parents always celebrated diversity and education, and tried to make it so that my siblings and I always saw successful people of color wherever we went. They did this so that we would know as children that regardless of what society might tell us, we could be anything we set our minds to. So since I can remember, I had black doctors, dentists, surgeons, and specialists. My parents’ closest friends were all successful black entrepreneurs, educators, and professionals, and every chance they got to take me to a place where I’d meet people who looked like me and achieved great things, they seized it. I can almost say I had a really distorted view of reality because most successful people I knew were black. Almost, because my parents never put me in any special schools to separate me from the people in the area in which I lived, so I did get a glimpse of the “reality” of being a minority, as well.

Anyway, looking back, I’m really glad my parents raised me this way. When I tell other people about it, a lot of them argue that that was reverse discrimination, or that it gives children the impression that racism and glass ceilings don’t exist. But I don’t see it that way at all.

It’s not like my parents would continue to go to BAD doctors just because they were black (and the idea that I’d have to lower my standards to employ minority professionals is insulting and racist in itself), but they would give a minority first dibs. In my opinion, it’s what we should be doing as a culture anyway. Why do Jewish and Asian communities thrive so quickly and so efficiently in other countries like the United States? Because they support their own. But for some reason, most minorities (Blacks specifically) get it in their heads that black service is bad service, and we avoid the name “Sheniqua Brown” or “Jerome Taylor” if we’re looking for a new doctor in a new city.

Well, I LOOK for those names.

First, because I believe in supporting my own community (especially when I know many people – even black people – intentionally do the exact opposite). And second, because it’s reassuring, even in my not-so-young-and-impressionable age, to see people of color in an extremely educated and highly paid position. It keeps me motivated, even still, to achieve higher goals in life. To go back and get my PhD or become a vastly skilled professional one day. It reverts me back to my younger days, and makes me proud to look the way I look, despite what society or the media may indicate.

I see colored people.

Even if it means I have to venture into sketchy parts of town (in broad daylight – get over it) or share a waiting room with individuals of a lower social class (though that’s not necessarily the case). Even if it means I have to drive a little further, pay a little more (sike, I don’t do that), or take the *chance* on unknown services. Even if it means all my friends get on me for being racist and reverse discriminating.

I see colored people.

And my kids will, too. It doesn’t mean you have to, too. But at least ask yourself this question: Have you ever seen the name “Jahnetta Davis” in the phone book of professionals, and kept it moving? If so, would you want someone to look at your name (or picture) and judge you based on that?

Furthermore, if you have kids, do you think they KNOW for a fact that they truly CAN be anything they want to be? If not, do you show them people who look like them that HAVE achieved the types of goals they may want to achieve?

It’s easy to tell your kids “You can be President someday”, but to be able to point to our biracial President and tell your biracial kids the same is probably a lot more effective. Even better if they could go to The White House and shake his hand. The same is true for doctors, lawyers, and community leaders.

I see colored people.

Who do you see?

Send Me

I went to this amazing concert last night. It’s kinda weird how it all happened.

One night about a year and a half ago, I was flipping through channels late at night, and for some reason, stopped at a channel that was playing videos. At the time, I didn’t realize they were Christian videos; especially since the video that had just started looked like your average rap/rock compilation and I couldn’t really tell what they were saying at first. But when I started to listen, not only was I impressed by the lyrical genius of both rappers on the stage, but I was moved by the words they were saying. When the final credits came on, I wrote down the names of the artists (Lecrae & Flame), and told myself to google them the next morning. When I did google them, I entered into a world I had never known existed before. Up until this point, every “Gospel rap” song I had ever heard was lame and was some wack stuff I could have written. Not only that, but I had always felt like “Christian rap” was a total oxymoron.

Yet these artists, along with the other artists on their label, were some of the most amazing rappers I had ever heard PERIOD – much less in the gospel genre. Every single one of them possesses a genuine skill in the art of lyricism, delivery, and beats; yet rather than rapping about sex, drugs, and money, they were talking about Christ.

What a concept.

So I found out a few of them were performing in San Antonio last night, and I decided to go. I’m not really sure what I expected. I guess I imagined I’d stay in my seat and listen to the word as if I were at church. But that wasn’t the case at all. The energy and love these people displayed for Christ was contagious, and before long, I found myself jumping up and down like I was at an Onyx concert and throwing my hands up in praise. More than that, I left the concert with a newfound realization of two very fundamental truths:

First, that God has bestowed certain gifts upon us that we should be using to glorify Him. Here I see these people who have the gift of music and spoken word, and they spend every day spreading the word, changing lives, and saving souls. They were given the same gifts as people who are millionaires right now talking about money, cars, and hos. Yet instead, they’ve humbled themselves to share the gospel. And here I am afraid of taking a pay cut in order to do His will. Talk about a pay cut! I know that I’m not doing anything with the gifts He has given me, and this money has left me unfulfilled.

Second, God has already chosen the most amazing and talented people to be on His team. It seems to me that the enemy uses the exact same strategies against God that He created for His glory. It’s as if the devil is not smart enough or strong enough to invent his own weapons, so he uses the same means that God invented to save us, but instead uses them to destroy us.

For instance, God created prophecy so that we might be prepared for attacks from the enemy, yet the devil uses this gift in many people (i.e. psychics, mind-readers) to instill fear or false hope in people. Another example of this is love. God created love as the greatest conqueror of evil, yet the devil uses earthly love to get us to idolize, lust, and avenge. Religion is probably the biggest form of this good turned evil. Created to bring us together as one to worship God, the devil has used this tool as a means to separate us, encourage hate amongst us, and brainwash and control our minds and spirits.

Music, for a lot of people, is beginning to take the place of religion. It’s the way we have come to approach, understand, worship, and even escape God and/or life. I think when God started to see the way the devil was using Religion against him, He invented a new means by which people could spread His gospel – music. Originally, most music was worship-centered and religious-based. Just looking at African American history alone, blues, jazz, rock and roll (rap/hip-hop/R&B’s predecessors) all originated from negro spirituals. Nowadays, this music is all centered around sex, alcohol, drugs, cars, and money. False idols the devil has put in place to keep us from fulfilling God’s purpose in our lives.

Yet God isn’t just sitting back and letting the enemy win. Not only is he enlisting the most talented individuals to join his army from the get, but he’s psyching the devil out by allowing people who were once Rebel generals to hit rock bottom and come over to Union. See Clifford Harris for further detail.

Not only that, but He’s giving those of us who remain indifferent, and who sit comfortably in the middle a chance to choose a side. By exposing us to the fact that we’re at war, He gives us the choice to either continue to be misled by the enemy’s lies or to pick up arms and stand with Him.

Perhaps this hip-hop revelation is the very battlefield that will commence The Revelation.

The time has come for us to decide:

Will we continue to blindly follow the way of the world, and listen to the words of a fallen angel?

Or will we be like Isaiah and stand before God, declaring, “Here I am. Send Me.”