Here's what I consider to be a fun fact about me. I was raised by my mother, a single parent. I'm aware of the statistics out there that show how the struggle is real for single-parent families – especially African-Americans and minorities in general. Despite knowing all of this, I was still caught off-guard when one of my classmates in the private Christian school I attended asked me if I received food stamps. When I replied "no," he seemed shocked, and I was even more shocked to be asked that question. It took me a few years after graduating from that school to tell my mom, who has worked at the same place for about thirty years, about it. She was pissed and even after the years have passed, I still find it shocking to be asked that question.

Without a father in the house, stereotypes and labels say that I should be in jail with no signs of a future. Yet, like the "food stamp" question in high school, for me and many others who grew up in single-parent homes, nothing can be further from the truth.

The truth is, stereotypes and labels cause my mom anxiety whenever I go out with friends (more so when the group is black) or walk the streets of Downtown Orlando. I’m a young black man and although I’ve been taught to obey those who are in positions of authority, a stereotype or label breeds enough fear in police officers to have them reach for their gun first and ask questions later whenever they see a young, black male of my height and size. As a matter of fact, a cop shared with me last year that black people are bigger targets to them due to them being potential violent threats. Even when I was with a group of predominantly white friends attending an event at the Amway Arena, I was the only one that was stopped and searched head to toe by a security guard.

This is not only my reality, but reality to many others, regardless of race. To me, All Lives Matter; but just try telling that to a person who believes in stereotypes and labels.

It really goes without saying, that stereotypes and labels have always been a part of society, but it seems they are especially prevalent today. A person's outward appearance seems to show their true anatomy; however, in reality, not everyone lives up to the stereotype or the label that people place on them. As a society, we should aim to tear down the walls of stereotypes and labels, but there is one LARGE thing that stands in the way and will always prevent it from happening: pride.

Pride is the substance that clogs the arteries in people and prevents the blood from flowing effectively. It prevents you from being a compassionate human being who thinks outside of yourself and does not allow the stereotypes and labels to run free. Think about it for a second. NFL players took a knee to protest injustice and inequalities in the African-American community after several young black men were killed. They repeatedly stated that it wasn't to protest the National Anthem or the American flag. Yet, individuals took to Twitter and other forms of social media to call them thugs, losers, and troublemakers among other names because they chose this form of civil protest. Here they were, standing up for something greater than themselves; but because they were perceived to be disrespectful and did something differently than someone else, they were labeled and placed into the stereotypes of being ungrateful and anti-American.

How disheartening!

When it comes to making efforts toward tearing down labels and stereotypes, it's easier said than done.