What are you?

To be clear there’s a difference between race/ethnicity and nationality. However, depending on who you are talking to some would say they are all the same. But while visiting the doctor's office two years ago being asked, "What are you?" Hits you differently when it is coming from someone with a confused look on their face. I'm guessing the African wraps and jewelry indicated I was something other than a human.

“I am not a racist. I am against every form of racism and segregation, every form of discrimination. I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color.”

— Malcolm X

I enjoy having a debate whether a person is black, white, red, pink, yellow or green. I know it seems strange to discuss this topic because people should know who they are or at least what they are. But believe it or not we are one race, the human race. It behooves me to see in documentations that ask for race/ethnicity that appears such as:

Issue #1: Africa is a continent and America is a country. How can one have both origins?

Issue #2: Why is it that black and white have distinctive names such as colors and other groups do not?

Issue #3: Before construction of the Suez Canal Asia was part of Africa...

Issue #4: If location plays a role in race/ethnicity then everyone born into America would be American Indian but must prove it by affiliation? Basically, it is forcing others to choose a title that is not associated to the origin of their existence. Because, I would also have to prove that I am African, or Asian American (as if that is a thing). The options seem not to fit other than selecting "other" on any documents. These are general categories that have no thought behind it, only physical characteristics without blatantly saying it.

Black and white titles are used to cause separation amongst the human race in which people that conform to these ideologies stick with and believe. If you are African, you are from Africa, if you are Asian, you are from Asia, if you are Mexican, you are from Mexico. Therefore anyone that is born into the United States of America is American and so on with the other 195 countries across the world.

However, when talking about the origins of human kind we are all African descendants. This is not based on our skin tone or physical characteristics. The source (bible) which leads the most popular religion practiced in the world (Christianity) with over 200,000 billion followers mentions places in Africa in which through DNA scientists have traced to conclude this is where human life began. My theory is that over the time of reproduction people started to migrate based on factors such as economics, climate, physical characteristics and power. Climate changes shaped physical characteristics and skin tones in which people migrated towards and towards those whom they could identify with. Reproduction amongst these groups grew over time, which filled the earth eventually.

Question Break: If Adam and Eve reproduced to have children then how did their children multiply? Would that make us all brothers and sisters in a way?

Ethnicity

Since ethnicity is based on physical characteristics then think about it, if a person has a darker complexion, and their hair is course, but yet speak the Spanish language. What ethnicity would that person be placed in? Does that make their ethnic group or background to be Black/African based on their physical characteristics or does it make them Hispanic/Latino?

Nationality

Nationality is based upon where you’re from so to be called an African-American would indicate that you are from Africa as well as America which is impossible. You do not hear Chinese people claiming to be Chinese American. Africans do not call themselves African-American they call themselves African because they were born in Africa, this is the same all across the world. You probably will never hear of Mexico Americans or Europe Americans so the terms and titles have confused majority of the people in the world because they lack the knowledge of who and where they come from.

Crayola

I’ve used scenarios with younger children comparing a color of paper or a black marker to show that humans are not colors. Even some adults yet insist on classifying themselves as being a color because it sounds good. I have never seen a human the color of white, I’ve never seen a black person the color of black. I think it's degrading to refer to people as red, yellow, green or any other term. Brown has become commonly used because of the increase in crimes that are affecting other groups. This is not a reason to accept these terms. It is simply police officers targeting males in particular areas as they have been trained to do. These terms are only used to put them in a box much like colors. But yet we have adopted them to make it our own no different than any other term like Negroid/Caucasoid, Negro, Nigger/Honky, Black/White Nigga/Cracker. We must stop referring to ourselves with such derogatory names and stand for the human race.

Separation

I have a theory on how separation became relevant in the world. It is when life started, life started out with dark complexion humans and over time as reproduction started many of the offspring grew up with different characteristics. Based on those characteristics they started to migrate with people that they could identify with. Based on similarities, behaviors and lifestyles they started to migrate to certain areas. People were multiplied in the world with different complexions, hair textures, languages, behaviors, cultures and more. The entire world has been a diverse land since the beginning of time and until the end. Those behaviors, characteristics, cultures, beliefs and religions are titles that have separated the people causing division in who we are as a people which is deeper than skin tones and colors. The truth of the matter is that humans began from the same male and female which will make all of us sisters and brothers of humankind.

So, I choose to remove myself from as many titles as possible to avoid being separated from people that are very similar to who I am. We bleed the same, we experience the same emotions, we all will live, we all will die. But yet we are afraid to say that ALL LIVES MATTER!

I Am Not

I am not African American

I am not Black

I am not Colored

I am not Dark

I am not Negro

I am not Negroid

I am not Nigger

I am not Nigga

I am Not!!!

©Ife Mensah