A Black Man in America

  I know what your thinking:”Oh no! another angry black man with a chip on his shoulder and a bone to pick with the white establishment that’s holding his people down”.  Well before you judge me maybe I should tell you all a little about myself. 

  I am a 44 year old, second generation veteran.  hopefully the last generation.  I work as a construction electrician and have done electrical for the past 24 years…………nothing to show for it.  Can’t retire. I’ve been married twice and am still with my second wife of fifteen years with no end in site.  Thank God.  We have three brilliant children that we ride to keep their grades up.

  So you ask yourself what does this man have to say?  Quite a bit but not all at once.  First to those who believe that the white establishment is holding us down i would like to say that I have never had a problem.  On the contrary I have found myself placed on a pedestal. For what? Doing my job.  You see there is a stereotype of black people in this country that we are lazy slackers who will do anything to get out of work and still get paid.  So when I would walk on the job-site, with tools and a smile and do my job to the best of my ability, for some weird reason I become their best worker.  So, people of color, don’t let their strange looks move you. Just do your job and their broken stereotype will do the rest.  My father once told me that I had to be twice as good as the white man to be considered his equal. I’ve found that if I am his equal he will make me twice as good on his own.

  Until next time remember that when we look at others we can’t see ourselves. Think about it.