Not Black, Just Chocolate

Since the beginning of civilization, man has taken it upon himself to categorize the world according to skin. Maybe it was his way of making sense of the world. Maybe it was deceptive from the start. Who knows. Over time, we have recognized it has added to the strain in our world. Now I'm not implying we need to be colorblind towards each other. But there's so much more to us than our skin. I definitely know there's much more to me.

Since the beginning of the time, man has been obsessed with controlling and bundling the population; especially the melanin rich population. In the states, melanin rich people have been called everything from Coloured, Negro to Black and African American. While some people are okay with some terms more than others, I'm not bothered by any of them. But I jokingly use chocolate.

But, it's gotten me to thinking. What's so preferable about chocolate? Chocolate because it's not in comparison nor counterbalances another color. There's no implicit inferiority. In addition, it's more than taste. Chocolate is an ingredient that's not only good for you, but rich in our nature. It comes from the cacao bean. Chocolate was previously considered sacred. It's not just a flavor or color, but has substance. It's used in recipes, medicine, gives you energy and is regularly given as a symbol of love on Valentine's Day.

None of these have anything to do with color or just the surface of a matter. It has to do with its various uses and benefits. It moves away from being categorized, but beneficial and advantageous. It changes the perception of just being one way or a thing. It allows one to examine the narrative of being defined by mere exterior.

Now I'm not asking anyone to change how they define themselves. But, I do ask you to consider yourself and others beyond the limited labels given. Consider what we are and are constantly becoming. Consider our unique recipe for life beyond the simple fabricated narratives. Be a symbolism of love, nutritious, and earthy. Be like chocolate regardless of your skin.