I’m fortunate to tell you that I’ve never had an incident involving the police where I was profiled for my appearance. Have I been followed by officers? Yes. Have I been tailed while driving by officers? Absolutely, and I’ve tensed up every time because I just never know what is

going to happen. I do however have a story from when I was 14. My 8th grade class field trip was a three day trip to Chicago. We were on the train ride back and my classmates asked me to come with them for they had something to show me. I call them “classmates” because at that

time, I really didn’t have any friends at the school I was at, plus I was the only black kid in a private school class of 18. They took me to meet a man who was trying to convince everyone that interracial relationships are wrong and unethical to God. I challenged him immediately

on this because my mother is biracial, my Grandmother is white and my Grandfather is black, and without their union, she nor I would exist. My cousin is biracial, making her the product of an interracial relationship. I see nothing wrong with that. And before I could let him go

on with his dribble, I laughed and walked away. By the time I came back to my seat, my classmates asked why didn’t I go after him. Well, one, I noticed Neo Nazi symbols on denim vest, and second, I’m a 14 year old black kid, and he’s a full grown man, on a train where, at the

time, you could bring weapons like a knife, which he was showing off when I approached him. Moral of this thread is, he saw Blackness as a threat, which is why he believed what he believed. He thought Black folks were a certain type of people and thought that the mixing of black

and white would ruin purity of his culture and wanted people who look like me to “not get out of line” or as we would put it, “Stay in our lane”. Sound familiar? I’ve never been the type to tell people who to be with. This is America, and if people want to be in interracial

relationships and have mixed babies, that’s their business. If I wanted to be in an interracial relationship, and I’ve been in many, that’s my damn right. So don’t tell me that what I’m doing is an abomination to whomever because if that is true, then that higher power can get

salty and try to rain on my parade, I’m still going to smile and do what makes me happy. Everyone should do what makes them happy. It’s not just your right as an American citizen, it’s your right as a human being. #BlackLivesMatters #BlacknessIsNotAThreat #LoveLiveLife