L P SIMMONS,
LONG BEACH, CA.
IT’S SO HARD BEING AN AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE THAT TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE GAINS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. I HAD THE CHANCE TO GO TO COLLEGE FREE AND EXPERIENCE A LOT IN LIFE. BECAUSE THESE ADVENTURES ARE NOT COMMON TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, THE EXPERIENCES AND MYSELF REALLY AREN’T WELCOME IN THE COMMUNITY.
NOW I STAND ABOUT 6-5 AND 265 AND OF COURSE I STAND OUT WHEN I GO OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY. TO THIS DAY I STILL PROUDLY WEAR MY CLASS RING AFTER THIRTY YEARS. PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER WILL ASK, “WHAT’S THAT RING FROM…. WHERE DID YOU PLAY BALL”? WHEN I TELL THEM THAT IT’S FOR GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, THE SMILES TURN UPSIDE DOWN. THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD ANOTHER COLLEGE ATHLETE AND THEY BECOME VERY DISAPPOINTED.
I GUESS WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT WHERE EVER I GO, I JUST CAN’T BE MYSELF. I AM SUPPOSE TO BE SOME CONCEPT OF A PERSON TO FIT THEIR IMAGE. THEN I AM NOT EMBRACED WHEN THE PEOPLE FIND OUT, “YOU’RE NOT REALLY ONE OF US”! I AM NOT ONE OF THE BROTHERS . I AM NOT THE PRO/COLLEGE SUPERSTAR THAT YOU WANT ME TO BE. I AM JUST A MAN.
SIDEBAR: I WOULD SAY THAT I AM WELL SPOKEN. SO WHEN SOMEBODY SEE A WELL SPOKE , OVER SIX FOOT TALL AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE, THEY THINK THAT YOU’RE A PEACE OFFICER.
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