What's In a GHETTO Name? (Back Home)
Think of the most ghetto name you’ve ever heard. Now think of why you think it’s ghetto.
Who makes the rules? Who gets to decide what constitutes civil culture and what does not? For far too long, African Americans have looked at themselves through this dystopian lens that I believe lingers from an earlier time.
Your hair is not unruly. It’s fluffy, like a cloud. The way you talk is not improper. It’s a dialect, an ethnic variation of standard English. Your name is not ghetto. It’s the result of your parents’ creativity, their courage in a world where so many are afraid to be different.
Far too often, being your best, when you’re black means hiding or erasing critical parts of your culture. We are told to speak in a more widely recognized and accepted style when going for interviews. Our hair must be straightened during formal events, because there’s just something about tight curls that is unceremonious. (Don't get me wrong. I love my straightened hair, but I also love my afro-textured hair.)
When some of us rise above the systemic issues that affect our local communities, we are encouraged to run away and never look back. I understand that for some, this is truly a life or death situation, and I’m not talking about you, if that's your circumstance. However, if you can, why not reach back and help. We all have something that can help someone younger or less experienced in some way.
Of course, over the past few years, this type of thinking has significantly decreased and we are in a period of increased cultural discovery, thoughtfulness and appreciation, but let’s not stop there. Let’s keep going until all the little aspects of our culture that are viewed as negative are examined and seen for what they truly are.
Stop seeing negativity where there is cultural beauty. Do not look down on your cultural riches. Have a high regard for them and wear them like a crown.
Retrain your brain to see yourself the way God does.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
~Psalm 139:14
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