BLACK, so what???

So I'll admit it, I can't find the perfect topic to write about as my first ever blog!!! So I thought, the best way to introduce myself is to share a piece I wrote a while ago, then we'll take it from there.
So here it goes...

today, a thought struck me. today i had to answer the question: why does my blackness offend me?
today i had to face the fact that i AM a black woman, in a democratic South Africa, and i had to explain to myself, why this brought me such shame? so today, i thought i could pose this question, to you fellow black brothers and sisters. I thought maybe we could collect our thoughts and deliberate on why being black is such a shame.
i first discovered my blackness when i entered the gates of this institution – having grown up in Lesotho. All of a sudden I had to indicate on every form that i filled in, the colour of my skin. All of a sudden, i was told i had to live with my own kind, and that i had to attend classes with those that spoke my language.
My vocabulary was increased from 4-letter words to words like minorities, integration, transformation, “black & white hostels”, “darkies”. And some words which i only knew in theory suddenly came to life... racism, segregation, initiation!!!
So today i realised that it is not my blackness that offends me, for it is simply the cloak in which God chose to place me. What offends me is what it means to be black, not only in this institution but also in the greater South Africa.
Blackness means Poverty, inferiority, minority, dirt, townships & shanty towns, alcoholism, abuse, degradation of women...
The thing is, I am proud of being black. To me blackness represents; Victorius struggles, strength. As a young black woman i have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of other great black men and women that came before me, i have the opportunity to learn the history of our struggle, and to take pride in it. I have the opportunity to make a difference in my life and in the lives of those around me. I have the priviledge of having UBUNTU stamped on the depths of my soul, it just comes naturally to me.
As a young black woman I have the opportunity to be who I want to be in South Africa. I have doors opened for me, on behalf of those that walked this road before me. those that didn’t have such opportunity.
So today, i declare this, brothers and sisters. I declare it so that everyone should know that when you call me black, i don’t get offended. it does not offend me. Because blackness does not mean to me what it means to you.
so when you call me black, you are declaring me victorius, you declare me powerful and you declare me honourable because when u call me black you are putting my name right between Nelson Mandela and Chris Hani.
So don’t call me black to provoke me, because when you call me black i won’t raise my fist to fight you, but i will raise it to shout AMANDLA!!!
So don’t put me in a category with a black drunken brother who mugged you last night, because Rosa Parks was black, Martin Luther King was black, Oprah Winfrey is black, Maya Angelou is black.

I am not ashamed of my blackness. My blackness does not offend me. so don’t turn me against my blackness.