Confession: The CRAZY sh!t you get writing about race in a newspaper is so unhealthy for my mental space. That's always what happens whenever I've written about race in America. It use to discourage me. My heart would be telling me "write it," but my fear would stop me.

What I've learned over the years is that racist people only maintain their power when they keep you in the exact same space you were, the one that allows them to remain comfortable. WE have to make them just as uncomfortable as they attempt to make me anything I write about race.

It's time to be "UNAPOLOGETIC ALLY BLACK."

People of color shouldn't have to tone down who they are, what they think, how they feel to make "others" feel comfortable.