NETTIE-ISM: IN SEARCH OF BLACK PEOPLE

The words you are about to read reflect those of the writer you may disagree but you need not be disagreeable; that is why it is called a "NETTIE-ISM".

As I sit here listening to classical music I cannot think of one Black person who could sit with me with a glass of wine, and maybe a cigar, and enjoy the moments. I know there are people of all skin pigments who love classical music I just don't know any locally. I do listen to R & B but not that often, I am not a fan of any type of explicit sexual entertainment.

The same Black individuals whose church I have visited I have invited to the church I attend. One woman did come, she placed $2 in the offering plate and commented that she paid for her coffee and donut, she also grab the invite cards which were in a plastic container, she was going to use that for her cards. Like many people of color that I know personally, she is used to traditional African-American Baptist services.  Every skin pigment is associated with the church I attend yet  the church is viewed by many Black people as a "White" church. More often than not I go to church alone.

Don't get me wrong my liberal sister-friend would listen to classical music and go with me to church if I asked and she lived near. And I do not have any ill-will towards those who think differently than I do other wise I could not have married a moderate Baptist Democrat and stayed married for over 23 years. I am just explaining my experiences as a Conservative Black female who does not live a status quo life.

It occured to me that most of the people I "hang-out with are Hispanic or White. Even my social media friends are mostly non-African-American. We go to wine tastings, we do not hang out in someone's front or back yard, or go to the bar. We talk saving money not spending. We talk about growing herbs and the things our sewing machines can do, we don't talk about celebrities or each other.  The people I associate with talk about the Word of God not church gossip. I associated with people who lift me up as I do them, not put me down nor do I put them down.

Because I come from a Democrat family and I was once an African-American Democrat I find myself knowing a lot of Democrats who are Black. When I ran away from the traditional church and grabbed the truth of God's word and then left liberalism I did not realize that the people I once knew would find me strange.

I am tolerated but kept at a distance; I am  spoken to but not heard, by the people who know me. But, I am determined to find a few people who will not be offended by: my pro-Trump position, my Hebraic Root faith, my practical living ideology or the fact that I love the Lord but smoke cigars and drink wine and whiskey. The funny thing is: I do know a few people who are like this but they are 20 years younger than me- they can disagree and we are never disagreeable.

The race on my birth certificate says: Colored. I am glad to be colored because I am not trying to prove that I am Black enough to Black people or blend in with other people. My race is irrelevant except I get tired of explaining to white people why I prefer to wear head-wraps instead of combing my hair.!                                  written by Marsha L F Randolph

AVAILABLE in eBook format only

NETTIE-OLOGY /NETTIE-ISM reflects the opinions of and is the soul property of the author MARSHA L F RANDOLPH. All rights reserved- do not use without permission. Disagreeing with what is written is not offensive to the author a disagreeable comment will be deleted.