Trigger Warning: Race/Identity
This piece will only be uncomfortable with those who may take offense to the following statement:
I have four Black-American grandparents.
I know that this statement FEELS aggressive but trust me, it only FEELS that way.
This is not poking a wound. In fact it is the opposite.
A scab must form in order to heal.
Scabs are ugly, crusty, uncomfortable, misshaped, multi-colored, and sometimes painful.
Scabs require patience. Scabs require nurturing and preservation of conditions that support healing.
Do not pick this scab. It may get infected.
The scar will be gnarly but it is also proof of life.
Black Americans are the scar of this country. They want to cover up the wound in silence.
The Gatekeeper is a contribution to not only document the source of our pain, but also highlight our resilience in spite of it.
This is a new day. Prepare to squirm. I promise the payoff will be worth it.
Fun Fact: Mindy Kaling’s (yes that one) brother was busted pretending to be Black in order to get a scholarship.
The “one-drop” rule was deplorable and antiquated and should have been abolished with Jim Crow. Ethnic Jews and Indigenous Americans have been whitewashed and/or erased through similar practices. That can not happen to the Black American. So, at bare minimum, at least to even get on the mailing list for The Black Delegation, the Paper Bag Test should be used as a baseline qualifier. Passing the Paper Bag Test means your natural skin tone is the same color of and/or darker than a paper bag. Passing the test only bypasses pre-pre-pre-screening.
It does not guarantee membership.
Who your people are matter. Who is all over there matters. Where are your people from matters. There must be a bar and it must exceed that set by deWhites. This is a fair proposition, no?
