Reflective Essay On Diversity

Recently, I participated in a debate about how do I feel the media (television, books, and movies) reflected images I want my children to see. The discussion lead to diversity. I mentioned that children are too busy trying to prove their blackness to embrace diversity. Embracing diversity in my perception has been seen as selling out. As a black woman, I struggle with fitting in. It depends on the crowd. Sometimes I have to surrender my blackness sometimes my feminity.

The television show Blackish lightly treads on issues of proving blackness (black nationalism) and diversity. The show does not take the risk and engage these topics at a deep level. In the midst of “Black Lives Matter,” the importance of this discussion is critical. I realize in college, I made a conscious effort to prove my blackness. I used it as a defense mechanics to keep people away. I used more slang and ebonics in the conversation. Years later at work in a predominately white environment, I clung to the idea of proving my blackness. When my blackness was challenged, my pride caused me to react, and I was terminated as a result of an altercation. The altercation was a result of me trying to prove my hood toughness.

For years, I did code switching I didn’t realize it was a technical term for it. In middle school and high school, I was in a predominately white school

It was an interesting mix. My assumption was the audience would be predominately black. When I arrived late, I noticed the trickle of black people coming. I thought, “here we go we coming in colored people time”. The panelist who was our discussion leaders did not reflect diversity. There was a moderator a young black male. Bernie Hayes an elder black male advocate and a black female who was a mix of afro-centric and eclectic. The final panelist was a middle age artistic while male. The discussion focused on topics such as code switching, white flight, and educational