More Than Skin

How do you feel about your race?

Dear Doubting You,

The way you view yourself has been influenced by a lot of things, both good and bad. Now, although the negative factors are not justified, you must decide if you are going to continually allow yourself to be defined by them, especially, in regards to your race. (You can read my journey with this below this section. )

When it comes to skin color, please know that God created each one uniquely beautiful. No matter what humankind has associated with your color, God associates it with his wonderful creation. The Most Wise God, The Creator of the Universe, The God who is Holy and without sin or fault, created you. What does this mean? This means that you are not a mistake. God designed you and your color gorgeously.

If you want to get closer to your Designer, want to view yourself through the eyes of his Child, and are willing to humble yourself by releasing your view of life and of yourself for his, repeat after me:

"Lord, I believe you sent your son, Jesus Christ, to earth to live, die, and rise from the grave on the 3rd day for me. I accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and I wish to live for you. Holy Spirit, come into my heart, help me to get to know who you are God and who I am as your child. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

If you prayed this, Congratulations!

Please download the Bible App and start to know who God is, as well as who you are in him (I recommend starting in John). Also, look for a church that you are comfortable in that is Biblically centered so that you don't do this journey alone.

You got this, and you are beautiful.

Sincerely,

The Confident you

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Title: February

By: Niomi Ayoyna Speight

No wings are flapping in my belly;

Breath is even.

Yet, my eyes glisten as I listen

to the sound of strength surging through bones once weakened,

depleted from childhood statements from peers similarly melanated like:

“You talk white,”

whenever I spoke with eloquence, and -

“just spit on your finger” if ink stopped flowing through my pen.

Back then, I never paused to wonder: where did they learn that hatred from?

There’s no fireworks crackling in my stomach,

Neither perspiration dripping down my neck.

Yet, my heart beams as the seams of ‘advice’ are wrecked like:

Men only want black girls for sex and white girls to wed,

especially if they got the nerve to have a booty;

The 4c or 4b nature of my hair needs to be hid;

Don’t marry a black man because in this society he’ll soon be dead.

Back then, I never paused to wonder where they learned this hate from.

I think about these things now.

I process the memory of my mom introducing me to race after a white man randomly spat on her face on her way to our home,

My cousin applying to the same job and position twice, and getting it the second time using her middle name Lauren, instead of her first:Shaniqua,

My dad telling me to be calm as the police pulled him over to see if his car was really his.

Living through the fight between blacks arguing whose better: darks or lights,

and with this, I find it interesting,

deeply intriguing

how America can associate classic learning to the Greeks,

Sewers to Rome,

But claim racism is done,

And view the effects of slavery and segregation as unknown.

I can’t help but wonder who they learned that from.

Nevertheless, birds are not chirping in the air

No, there is not a song in the sky

but joy has penetrated so deeply.

Relief abides as I realise that I am thankfully part of the legacy of those who created the cooling system in refrigerators, worked at NASA, created the traffic light, and more.

I adore grasping that Christianity is not a white man's religion but the Gospel of the Son of Man born in the Middle East with Mesopotamian ancestry, lived and shed his blood for the forgiveness of sins, even for people with my complexion

I dance due to the diverse people in my life who are blessings.

I smile because of the black confidence emerging in the world I see,

that we are being freed from traumatic memories, generational hurt and pain.

I celebrate February because I am growing in love with my race; I am growing in love with history;

I hope someone someday can learn that from me.