Colored People?

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday

I’m proposing a new amendment to the Constitution that would make it illegal to use a color to describe a human being. White, Black, Yellow and Red are banned in particular but it’s only fair to ban all the colors. The Shades of Melanin Amendment would also ban using ‘country of origin’ and ‘continent of origin’ to describe people as well. The exception would be for folks ‘just off the boat’ and blue bloods (since they have a deep need to be set apart). Police will be allowed to ‘Profile’ bad people no matter their continent, country, religion, clothes styles, hair styles, where they live or who they hang out with.

In all of my 56+ years on this planet, the most ignorant thing I have ever heard is one person describing another by color alone. I still have not seen a White Man. All the albinos I’ve met have a pinkish glow in places (Pink is banned). All the supposed Black Men I’ve met always shake my hand with palms that would be accurately described as bronze or brown (Bronze and Brown are also banned but I’m not really sure if bronze is a color or a precious metal.)

In fact describing my two daughters with a color presents a major problem. Even though they look a tad pale during the winter months, by late spring they are usually bronze verging on brown. So if the typical fool met one of my daughters in January they would say ‘Oh, what an attractive White girl’. Meeting her on the 4th of July the description would be ‘Oh, she was a Bronze beauty’.

Other than appreciating his work as an actor, I know nothing about Morgan Freeman. He is ‘right on’ in this recent article titled ‘He’s No Fan of Black History Month’.

Morgan Freeman says the concept of a month dedicated to black history is ‘ridiculous’.
‘You’re going to relegate my history to a month?’ the 68 year-old actor asked in a recent interview. ‘I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.’

Black History Month has its roots in Carter G. Woodson’s Negro History Week, which he designated in 1926 as the second week in February to mark the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Woodson said he hoped the week could someday be eliminated- when black history would become fundamental to American history.

Freeman notes that there is no ‘white history month,’ and says that the only way to get rid of racism is to ‘stop talking about it’. ‘I am going to stop calling you a white man and I’m going to ask you to stop calling me a black man’.

Thanks Mr. Freeman. I will be asking you to become part of the committee to draft the Shades of Melanin Amendment as well as be a spokesperson.

About 10 years ago my kids played a song me for me that should be designated the ‘No Colors to Describe Other Folks’ anthem. I still hear it from time to time.

Pardon me, your epidermis is showing, sir
I couldn’t help but note your shade of melanin
I tip my hat to the colorful arrangement
Cause I see the beauty in the tones of our skin.

We’ve gotta come together
And thank the maker of us all.

(chorus)
We’re colored people, and we live in a tainted place
We’re colored people, and they call us the human race
We’ve got a history so full of mistakes
And we are colored people who depend on a holy grace.

A piece of canvas is only the beginning for
It takes on character with every loving stroke
This thing of beauty is the passion of an artist’s heart
By God’s design, we are a skin kaleidoscope.

We’ve gotta come together,
Aren’t we all human after all?
(full lyrics below)

This race stuff has bothered me since high school. I went to school in Jersey City, NJ. During the 1960’s the Black/White Us/Them hate was intense. I found myself in fights with kids I didn’t even know. They wanted to kill me and I wanted to kill them. Why? Had they insulted my Momma? No. Had they messed with my sister or my girlfriend? No. Had they robbed me? No. Did I do something to them that would incite their anger? NO.

It was about what had happened between light skinned morons and dark skinned people who had been enslaved for generations before I was born. But the line had been drawn in the sand. Somehow a large number of light skinned people felt threatened when slaves were set free. Maybe next year I’ll expound on those reasons.

Conversely, a large number of dark skinned people were threatened even after laws had changed. We can get into more detail in the future. But what we had and also what wound up with was a Big Mess, which continues today.

Because of the color of my Mommy and Daddy, that kid I was fighting in Jersey City hated me. It didn’t matter if I was a good person or not. And so it is- groups judging other groups for probably the least accurate of reasons--- One that predicts nothing of importance but serves to further deepen the chasm between many wonderful people.

When I size up a person, it’s a about the depth of their character. When I describe a person it will go something like this- ‘A bright articulate businessman who has been married for 23 years and has 3 extraordinary children. He’s about 5’9” tall, medium build, early 50’s, dark eyes, warm smile, dark hair with some salt mixed in and a light complexion’. Now you know something about the guy I met for coffee today and you also learned something about me.

I’m going to ask you to do 2 things. The first is to work on Reconciliation. Walk up to someone whose skin tone is opposite of yours and say something like this- ‘Hi, my name is Russell and I would like to repent and ask your forgiveness for anything my ancestors might have done to your ancestors. I want to be part of the solution and not continue this senseless division. Let’s move on together.’ Then shake the persons hand or give them a hug.

Next, I want you to get out and support the Shades of Melanin Amendment and have a fantastic MLK Birthday Bash (but don’t describe Dr. King by using a banned color).

Russell Jones
973.983.9607

http://www.powerworkshop.org/
http://powerworkshop.blogspot.com/

Colored People
Pardon me, your epidermis is showing, sir
I couldn’t help but note your shade of melanin
I tip my hat to the colorful arrangement
Cause I see the beauty in the tones of our skin.

We’ve gotta come together
And thank the maker of us all.

(chorus)
We’re colored people, and we live in a tainted place
We’re colored people, and they call us the human race
We’ve got a history so full of mistakes
And we are colored people who depend on a holy grace.

A piece of canvas is only the beginning for
It takes on character with every loving stroke
This thing of beauty is the passion of an artist’s heart
By God’s design, we are a skin kaleidoscope.

We’ve gotta come together,
Aren’t we all human after all?