I will start off by saying I think it's extremely sad that all these centuries later & we're still dealing with racism.

It is something that never goes away because it is continued to be taught to our children. 

I have never forgot when I was a teenager I began talking to a  young boy who I just simply found attractive, the color of his skin was never even something I thought of, and then the day happened where I was sitting on the couch w/ him at my cousin's house and my uncle Victor you could see the look all over his face, the look of disgust that how I dare I be sitting next to a black guy, a black guy that I was clearly interested in. I was fortunate enough to be independent enough in my thinking that his opinions that day didn't leave an impression on me or change how I viewed the subject.

His Mother, my grandmother on my mother's side is where he was taught to feel that way, and lord did she feel that way. I know she was taught to be that way as well, and so on. I was blessed enough to have a mother who in time didn't let her mother's views leave her closed minded, and my mother learned to see past color & who I dated. 

I no doubt I'm sure still have many family members who even reading this would be angry & disgusted that I'd ever dare to date outside of my race. I just never cared. I've dated black guys, white guys & I've dated hispanic guys, I do not see color & I find it sad that so many do. My ex- husband in fact, would often allow himself to be bothered by it, which never bothered me & something I found comical that someone could be so bothered by something so ignorant and trivial. What was even more comical is w/ his dark complexion & dark hair he was often mistaken for a hispanic male himself.

Love who you love, whether it be a significant other or a friend, love who you love, color is irrelevant.

Racism greatly hurts me to see or read about. It is lost on me how so many people can openly choose to judge someone not on their character or behavior, but by the color of their skin.

It starts w/ us and we should simply do better as parents & as individuals. Racism make no mistake about it, is hatred plain & simple. It is ignorance, plain & simple.

I could have chosen to let the ignorant members of some of my family change how I was & what I believed. I could have let it change how I viewed people & how I treated people. I chose to continue to see past color & I chose to better educate myself on the struggles of those who have the challenges of living w/ it. My mother chose to do the same. We see individuals, not color.

If you're reading this and have ever been the victim of ignorance when it comes to your race, I'm sorry, for no one should have to.

We are ALL God's children, and he does not make mistakes.