What color should I use?

So I went on 6-foot-long-hair, Ms. D's, blog today and she had a post about a comment another blogger made.  Ultimately it was about the term "good hair" and the impact it has had and continutes to have on women of color and children of color.  In adding my 50 cents, and going some what off topic, my son does not call black people black, he calls them brown.   My co-worker's,who is caucasion, son calls caucasion people pink or used the flesh colored crayon instead of white.  I think about this and it is so correct!  Just like the good hair/bad hair term, why don't we change this outlook too!

  I have even adapted to my son and say brown from time to time.  It really breaks my heart to think that his innocent way of thinking may soon become tainted by what society deems as proper.  I even hate marking African American on applications and such, because I don't really identify with that.  As a matter of fact I am going to stop altogether, with the paper work and the African American or black.

The funny thing is when I told my grandmother this, she said, "now there are some black people out there." I just laughed at her.  As far as I have seen, even those people are just dark brown. 

In addition, this morning we were listening to the radio and they said African American, and my son asked me about the term.  He said "mommy, are we African American?  What does that mean?"  My son being the inquisitive and opinionated person he is, at 7 years old, came up with a definition of what he thought it meant.  He figured the same way as anyone who heard the term, that we came directly from Africa.  Thats what I get too.  Yes, some of our ancestors originated in Africa, but as far back as I can go, I am as American as apple pie.  Don't get me wrong, I am proud of my heritage, but when it pidgeon holes me and stereotypes me into something I am not, it is down right belittleing and degrading.

My girl Naptural85 recently had a post on her website about a similar topic.  So did my girl LongHairDon'tCare.  There is room for change people, but it must start with us.  I look out in the world today and see so many brown women embracing their natural hair and it is beautiful, encouraging, and hopeful.  We are all God's people, and there is nothing wrong with the way He made us, naturally.

Well, one might wonder why I am doing the texlax then?  I say, it is a woman's right to change her mind.  I changed my mind from relaxed to texlaxed, and when I hit my first goal, I plan to set another one to go from texlaxed to relaxed.  This is my journey.  I invite you to join me.