Let me start this post with a little bit of background. February is Black History month.  This month, I am using the social pin board Pinterest to spotlight some people in black history who serve as personal inspiration to me.  I would love it if my readers would follow my Inspirational African  Americans board to see exactly who I have on my list.  I will be updating it all month and I am sure I will continue in the future.  These pins I also share daily on my Facebook timeline.

Now recently, due to the Black History Month postings I am doing on Facebook, I received a message there from a friend who is white.  This person has known me for a long time and a person I consider a friend, even off of Facebook.  :-)  In the message they asked me, should my postings not be purely American history without having to classify it as black?  Now, let me explain something to you for a minute.  I have always told my friends who are of a different race, if you do not understand something as it relates to the black race, ask me. This does not mean that I am the authority of all things black, but I would rather you ask a person who is black, who you consider a friend, than just forming your own incorrect opinion or believing the stereotypes. This is the type of relationship that I have with my friends and to date, none of them have ever asked me anything I found offensive.  As long as they listen with an open mind and understand that somethings they might not ever fully comprehend because they are not black, I am more than willing to give them my honest opinion to their questions. This is not meant to be a racist statement, it is just the truth.  I will never understand how it is to be white and they will never fully understand what it is to be black.  We understand this about each other and embrace our differences.   » Read more..