As the semester comes to an end, the summer is being planned. We all have things that we are cannot wait to complete. Some of us are staying in school to get ahead or simply to make up lost credits. Some of us cannot wait to be able to sleep in without having to worry about classes. One thing is for sure, the majority of us are going to be hitting the water this summer. But, as summer creeps up, we also start hearing some ridiculous myths about how black people hate summer. So I am here to debunk some of these myths for you.
1. Black people hate summer
Now, this is just outright stupid. The saying goes that because of the heat, black people hate summer because we get blacker. LIES! First off, my melanin thrives off the sun and our skin behaves like every other skin when in the sun - it gets darker. It also burns. So, therefore its only natural to be slightly irritated by the sun sometimes. We love summer because summer is freeing. Since childhood, summer has been the time without responsibilities when you be with your friends all day and night. We enjoy the summer just as much as everyone else. Also, who doesn't love an endless supply of vitamin D?
2. Black people don't need sunscreen
Black people come in all types of shades and yes we all burn. Just because it is harder to notice the burns on the darker shades do not mean we cannot burn. We may not burn as quickly as some other ethic groups, but we do burn. Also, sunscreen is helpful for more than just sunburns. Sunscreen protects your skin from the harmful rays of the sun and I'm sure everyone needs protection from the sun.
3. Chicken, Kool-Aid, and watermelon
The idea that the primary source of a black person's diet consist of chicken, watermelon, and Kool-Aid is completely ridiculous. Back in the day, chicken and Kool-Aid was an inexpensive food option so therefore lots of poorer black families tended to buy this. One packet of Kool-Aid makes a whole jug of juice that can last a few days and to some families, that was needed. To be honest, not all black people love Kool-Aid. I for one do not like Kool-Aid because i think it takes too much sugar to make it sweet. Chicken was also cheaper and easier to make, especially for families where the parent(s) were always working and did not have time to cook full family dinners. Watermelon is a bit harder to understand because watermelon is a summer staple. Everyone likes watermelon in the summer because its not only tasty, but its juice keeps you cool in the heat. I understand that back in the day, black people were pictured with huge mouths and disproportional bodies with watermelons in their hands so that idea has suck with some people.
4. Black girls don't like to wet their hair
This is true for some black girls, but there is a good reasoning behind it. The major one of those being that they had probably just got their hair done. Many black girls spent a ton of money to get their hair laid or on some good weave. Keep in mind that really good weave can cost a couple hundred dollars then add in the cost to get the hair done - that's a lot. So who would want to mess up their freshly done hair? The same goes for other races too. If you just went to the salon, would you want to get your hair wet? The other reason some black girls don't like to wet their hair is because they are natural. The pool water has harmful chemicals which can do real damage to their hair. It is a lot of work to care for natural hair so frequently dipping it in chlorine infested pool water is not exactly the best idea.
5. Black people can't swim
This myth actually has some historical backgrounds and it's actually quite sad. Back during segregation, white people used to pour acid into the pools that were for black people, if there were any. Swimming is something we weren't really allowed to do, swimming is seen as an obstacle that we have overcome. Swimming is something we are proud of doing, and contrary to popular belief - lots of black people know how to swim. We be at the pool from open to close - that's how much we love to swim. So, next time you make fun of a black person for not being able to swim - think about that.
All in all, I think we can all agree that there are some ridiculous myths out there about all races. It seems though, that the black community gets a lot of stones thrown at them from people too afraid to show their hands.
