This is a shame that a young children have an awareness of racial identity. I tuely believed that the young children were finally born into a culture of their peers where race is so insignificant that they were totaly unaware of it. Pride in one's race still forsters seperation of the races. Total non awareness of racial differences is when it no longer has a significance. That is what it is all about. Remember Martin's dream was when people would be judged by the content of their charecter. That means us also judging ourselves inwardly. Martin once said that Black & white work together, & function together, but thy don't 'play' together. He said that when they play together, the seperation would be over. As I walk around my neighborhood for exercise, I see groups of children playing & they are like a rainbow of color. I get a lump in my throat & a tear in my eye knowing that his dream is nearly upon us with the generatiuon of the small children & now to hear that young childen are so race concious saddens me. It's not race pride that will bring equality. It's equality that will bring equality.

We are almost there. I am an old man of 66 & remember back when Black people were 'colored' & that was considered the nice expression. That was when seperate, but equal was in force & it was anything but equal. As a young white boy traveling through the South on Vacation with my parents, I saw the White water fountains, all refigerated, clean & anticeptic & a hand pained sign with an arrow pointing to a filthy, green molded old water spout around back with the words "colored" over it. The same was true about restroom facilities. Things have moved forward. I am just upset that they haven't moved forward enough. I hoped I saw the dawn of complete eqality in my lifetime in these young children. Maybe their children, born further into the 21st century will read about seperation of the races in their history books & wonder how people could have ever been so backward. I hope they don't fully comprehend what it was, because that would mean that it would be truely left in the past once & for all.
http://newportrichey.patch.com/blog_posts/martin-luther-kings-birthday-isnt-a-second-class-holiday

I am very happy to read that there are people out there who still have hope. I think Amy Bryant's blog is very interesting, insightful, and unfortunately brings to light a sad truth that is still in existence. I, too, have hope that enlightened people will tip the balance

Mommy and Daddy are instrumental in the the mix so to speak.

Amy, thank you for your forthrightness. The words from a song in "South Pacific"
replay day after day, "you've got to be carefully taught to hate the people that
all of your relatives hate...." We can also "carefully teach" respect and loving
kindness. I look forward to more of your blogs.

Amy Bryant. Your picture looks like someone I work with. I don't think you are her, but I'm curious. My company is a very large Corporation that might frown on me using their name on the internet, so I'll just ask if the phrases "Wow the customer" , "Make Magic" & "The code is RED STAR" mean anything to you?
The building I work in has about 2,000 people in it & I don't know most of the names, but one lady there looks like your picture. Just wondering?

This morning I happened to watch model Cameron Russell’s brilliant TED talk on the concept of physical beauty http://blog.ted.com/2013/01/16/6-talks-on-beauty/. Then I read Amy Bryant’s blog. Somehow the combination gives me hope that Amy’s thought “understanding, acceptance and just plain human kindness” is the key to moving us all forward to a place where appearance matters a bit less and heart matters a bit more.

There is no need for race questions, or check off boxes on any forms. We live in a society where even for census reasons #'s of population for each race is tallied.
In the days when they were computing population for census figures when they wrote the constitution & instituted the electoral college, fpr census #'s Balck peope, counted as something like 3/5 of a person. Then they say that there was no aparthied in this country, even though Black people couldn't vote.

Even different parts of this country, like up north, have different forms of vailed racism. I come from NY where racism is really worse than the south, but they are hypocritical about it & go overboard to convince themselves that they are open minded. I posted a post on New Port Richey Patch about Martin's birthday. Then I posted the exact same post on the Plainview, NY patch & the Plainview Patch rejected it. New Port Richey found it fine, but up north, I guess they found it too anti Mainstream attitude for them.

Even in the Caribbean this caste system still exists sadly today. Where I am from in NY, I find there is actually much less racism than in the South and the black community is now much more well integrated and highly regarded than in years past.

Thanks for a flawless and well written blog article. You are a great writer.

That's our Amy! Our beautiful mahogany and tangerine lady.

Amy, as with your book, this blog is well written and thought provoking. I am so glad you are blogging and I look forward to many more posts!

kudos dear Amy, a wonderful beginning, piece and comments.

Amy, I'm so glad you decided to express your thoughts, feelings and opinions here on Patch. And from the looks of the comments, many other people are happy about it, too! We all look forward to any future contributions you will provide. Thanks Amy!

Internal racism is a strange thing. Many people today may not be familiar with an old movie called Imatation of Life. It is very old. Like from the 1940s or 50s.
A light skin black woman decides she wants to pass & denys her Mother because her Mother is clearly Black. In one scene, her Mother, who misses her dearly, finds her in thhe dressing room of where she works as an actress. Other actresses, & her boyfriend come in & she introduces her Mother as her old cleaning woman, or nanny, or whatever. Her Mother leaves in great sadness.
In the end, her Mother dies & she finally realizes all the guilt of how she treated her Mother & she breaks down compleatly in the street.
It illustrates how destructive internal racism is. Thank God things are slowly getting better externally & internally. Time moves so slow though, but it does move forward.

Hey Amy, You're even getting compliments from the patch people themselves. That doesn't happen for everyone. You've got some talent girl.

I will never forget the day, about 30 years ago, that I was training a new employee. She was a beautiful black (to my eyes) woman. During our conversation she happened to mention that she was divorced which made her parents very happy. When I asked what they did not like about her ex-husband, she replied "they were alway upset because he was black." I didn't know how to reply because here I was looking at a black woman. I finally told her that I was confused as she was black. She again replied "no, I am from the islands and he is a black American. My parents are very prejudice and think black Americans are beneath them " What an eye opener that experience was.

MLKs dream still says it best - Content of character matters - skin color does not

Yes, Dan, in the long run, his dream will prevail. We have so many signs of that already.

Bro Drew here, Congratulations a second time. You have found your literary place. :The Secret is Out: was well written.

THIS WAS EDUCATIONAL, I LEARDED A NEW EXPRESSION :COLORISM:.

Amy, I am so very proud of you! You are absolutely in tune with yourself and have found your niche. Thank you for sharing you with the world! Much love and best of luck!