Hello Steve,
Remember me?
This is Ahlaiah
Ahlaiah Afrika now
Actually, It has been Ahlaiah Carmel Afrika from birth
as named by my mother in the African tradition
I don't suppose that you've thought of me
I have of you
Maybe not for reasons that you think
I think back to that time in the restaurant when we had a conversation that continues to stick out in my mind
You asked me a question
concerning reparations
If I thought that they were due
What I think about is not so much the question, but your reasons for asking
Thinking back, I don't recall you asking anything similar to anyone else
Just this very controversial question to me
Just me
Why?
Of course, I already know the answer
It is because of how you saw me
You didn't see me as intelligent
or capable
or articulate
or even knowledgeable
Just black
Just black
It cut me, Steve
It hurt
to have it revealed that someone I respected, even dared to think of as a friend, only saw me in terms of whatever stereotypes he fed into
How dare you
You
who know nothing about me outside of your own assumptions
You
who know nothing of black history
my history
You dare to argue from an empty knowledge base
It is not like you can say that your experiences in this area have ever compared to mine
How would you even know?
You never asked
You don't know what I know
Have never seen what I've seen
You could never hold a flame to things that I've experienced
What makes me angry still is that you had a problem with my expression of my culture as told by your own revelation
What you revealed to me in so few words is that black people , in your mind, should not be proud of their culture and heaven forbid express it
We should just assimilate
Blend in
And be happy to be alive
I've met many Steves both before and after you
Part of me should thank you, for if it weren't for you, all of you, I would not be as proud and together as I am today
So, thank you Steve
Your ignorance has educated me
If you are ever in Las Vegas, look me up
A future meeting between us should prove interesting to say the least.