The One Brown Girl Challenge

Respect Others.

It's Black History Month in the United States & Canada.  What better time than now to consider the diversity of Blacks in the United States and to perhaps (for some) even consider a different point of view?  Black immigration from Africa, The Caribbean & Latin America have forced Black US comunities nationwide to confront issues of intraracial diversity.  Respecting the different historical and cultural traditions that people bring to the table from other countries plays a critical role in how US Blacks view African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latin and multiracial peoples.  An Eritrean immigrant that defines herself as Eritrean and not Black should be respected; a Caribbean or Venezuelan family, the same. A multi-racial Brown Girl that defines herself as multiracial should not be forced to identify with one specific culture or be poorly looked upon because she doesn't.  Black is not an identity to many immigrants and offspring of immigrants and people in the US that define themselves as Black or African-American should not take it as a personal attack when someone does not share her/his point of view.  And while some might not always understand or agree, respecting another person's point of view, their history and cultural traditions is the first (and potentially most critical) step to coming together as a nation.  Respect others and you will earn respect too.