If you know by now, you've heard about the most recent controversy that is surrounding H&M. But in case you missed what has been happening, the H&M store in the UK recently put out an ad that surfaced online of a little boy in a green sweatshirt that said "coolest monkey in the jungle." The little boy that was advertising the sweatshirt was African-American, and had dark skin at that.
This was a controversy that certainly hurt the black community for many reasons, but for one mostly because we as black people are tired. What are we tired of exactly? We're exhausted from constantly defending our nature on a regular basis when it comes to who we are as individuals. We're tired of being stereotyped as 'ratchet' or 'ghetto.' This puts us in the category of not knowing how to be civilized human being. Being depicted as 'animals' is one of the worst ways you can describe someone, but in the black community it takes on a whole other meaning.
Just like the words ratchet and ghetto, being described as something that is inhuman is one of the worst things you can do to any person of color. The saying always goes, "everyone loves black culture but not black people." This statement may vary in certain aspects, however, it depends on how you look at it. We as people of color are tired of being seen as individuals that are 'unusual' or looked at as if we were exhibits in a museum.
As people of color, we deserve the same rights and respect like all white people in this country do. No, you cannot touch my hair, no you cannot say 'nigga', and just because a confrontation breaks out doesn't mean that it should give you the right to think all black people are thugs. Time and time again we need to explain ourselves, but enough is ENOUGH!!!
Artists like Kendrick Lamar and J.Cole have been openly vocal about how people of color are looked at in this so-called 'white man's world,' and use their platform to speak out on these issues. It allows individuals to see why we deserve to feel the way that we feel.
However, I can't sit here and box in every white person ever. To all the white people who continue to defend people of color for the individuals that we are, thank you. By continuing this way, it shows that we do not have to show exhaustion each and every day about who we are. Its like Jesse Williams said, "Just because we're not magic, doesn't mean we're not real." People of color are as special as can be, and we will forever be brave.