I find myself, once again, explaining racism to white people. I shouldn’t have to, but It’s my duty. I literally have to tell white people “you can’t tell a black person what is or isn't racist” because you are not black. You do not experience the world as a black person. You have never experienced institutionalized racism.

Throughout history, my skin color determined my rights and now my skin color determines how I am treated. Shocking right? No, It is the reality and I refuse to live in LaLa Land.

It would be great if I could wake up in the morning and not see a new hashtag, or a black woman getting beat, or a major corporation like Dove have an appropriate diversity campaign beyond sexual orientation. Let’s be honest. H&M’s hoodie Ad was racially insensitive- corporations lack racial inclusion.

In recent years, many companies and celebrities have been in hot water due to their language and insensitivity such as make- up artist Jeffery Star, guitarist Eric Clapton, Dove, and Pearson textbooks. We provide spaces and opportunity for ourselves because our representation and respect in the global world are minuscule.

This shortage of representation in media gave birth to Fenty beauty, #nudeisnotbeige campaign, etc. However, it is still not enough. Stop defending H&M. If I told you that Sweden had a deep history of African colonialism would you believe me? Or what If I destroyed the Swish’s representation of “racial neutrality” and provided evidence that the Swish contributed to slavery and racist cartoons, would you think the Ad was still harmless?

I could write a well-research essay on stereotypes and the degradation of black people, but you would scream boredom. For those of you who don't know, this coon caricature developed in the Jim Crow Era where blacks were treated inhumanely. But, it is not my job to give you history lessons. It’s your job to learn history.

Many people believe racism was buried a long time ago and black people are too sensitive. But don’t we have a right to be. Many people say the South African H&M protest went too far but didn’t Apartheid already push racial tension over the edge? Sadly, people forgot about Apartheid ( institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa) which ended in 1991 was only 26 years ago. Racism is a global problem, not just an American problem. Marketing campaigns are seen all over the world. Social Media is too big to be that reckless. We all remember Dove's Ad last year.

Although my problem is with H&M's ad, I am ashamed of how easy black people dismissed it. “We have bigger fish to fry,” a friend wrote on their Facebook status. Kids are monkeys another comment I read on Instagram. Even some black people promised to continue to shop there. My question is why? Why shop at a place with cheaply made clothing? And why shop at a store that perpetuates racist stereotypes and continues to do so?

During this time in America, with tightening tension due to Trump’s presidency, now is not the time to turn a blind eye, little problems create big problems.

The reason why the coon caricature (monkey and ape character type) is so detrimental to black bodies is that it animalizes us. If we are seen as animals it allows the justification to treat back people inhumanely. Just think, how many times has a cop got away with murdering an unarmed black person under the premise of “I feared for my life.” Too many times.

How many companies have issued half-ass apologies? We cannot afford to continue creating an atmosphere where people are negatively stereotyped based on their race and ethnicity. That is so last century. That is how racism began; the thought of superiority over groups of people promoted racist ideas which birthed racial hatred. These racist ideas and hatred are based on stereotypes!

It will be black history month next month and boy, we are going backward. I can’t believe we live in a time where racial disparity still exists. I thought this was handled during integration…..I thought Dr. King taught us well. I expected the Montgomery boycott to be the last boycott. I thought equality meant something. I thought Eric Garner would be the last case of police brutality. I thought being black mattered. I thought as a country we were going forward. I guess I thought wrong. …. Well, what do I know? I’m just another angry black woman who is too woke