I’m not just a Black Man

Jared Blocker,
Gainesville, FL.

My name is Jared. And this is my attempt at trying to post a race card.

I was born and raised in the US, yet I don’t see myself as just black, I also see myself as an African-American.

Whenever I hear the term “black” I think of my brothers and sister who descend from places such as Haiti, Jamaica and of course Africa. As human beings we’ve all gone through the struggle of wanting to be accepted. The same goes for people who are white.

But whenever I hear about my culture, the “African-American” culture, I fear that the response will just be, “No you’re not, you’re just American!” I know my history and how my ancestors got here, I know of how they were betrayed, sold and treated like beast of burden.
But I also know that the place of were we came from is full of beautiful people and has many wonderful cultures. It gives me strength by honoring the memory of those who survived and for those who were lost along the way.

In elementary school most of the student body was composed of kids who were just like me. We learned things about our heritage from guest speakers, music, dance and books. But the hardest thing to swallow was slavery and the hatred that surrounded us back then.

You can call me black all you want, I don’t mind, but in the end I will always be an African-American.

But in the end these terms shouldn’t separate us, but bring people of all races and cultures together so that we can learn from one another and live in harmony.

I’m not just a Black Man, I’m an African-American Man.