The Hypersensitivity of Stereotypes

I'm convinced that we learn to take offense.

As a child, I don't recall being offended by someone seductively waving a fried chicken leg in my face, I don't recall being offended by someone offering me watermelon, and I certainly don't recall being offended when people said "purple" kool-aid and laughed. All I knew was that fried chicken was tasty, watermelon was refreshing, and purple kool-aid was the best flavor.

At some point between then and now however, I irresponsibly learned to take offense to those things. After watching white person after white person on television apologizing for using these references (and most recently, Dan Rather), I began to realize that while I didn't know why I was supposed to be offended, I just knew that I was.

This creates confusion.

In attempt to protect the cultural image of my history in America, my priorities quickly became muddled while trying to police any potentially bigoted representation of my heritage. I found myself defending "Watermelon" on Wednesday and the "N-word" on Friday. All of a sudden I began to realize however, if I keep this up, how could my appeals ever be taken seriously?

I say all of this because I have found it absolutely essential to pick my battles. Although I don't always adhere to that, recognition is the first step. To criticize and mis-categorize my intelligence, drive, and humility to humanity, is something of which I will take offense every.single.time. Those are things WORTH defending. Someone suggesting that I'd prefer fried chicken over the swordfish while at a fine dining establishment, is something not dignified enough to secure a reaction. More than anything else, that's simply an illustration of how little this person knows about me as in individual; not a knock on my entire cultural upbringing and overall purpose in the universe.

Bottom line, the prioritization and distinction of these things are essential. I friggin LOVE watermelon, but who doesn't? I'm pretty sure fried chicken is just chicken wrapped in a crispy layer of salt which everyone enjoys, and who has ever turned their nose up at kool-aid? Seriously?!?! Everyone likes these things (among others) so why portray them as something that only black people like? Likewise however, I myself cannot bait these stereotypes by treating them as an all encompassing representation of who my people are. Afterall, you only get to cry 'wolf' but twice...