Ericka Courtney, on All About Race in America

Hello everyone, this is Ericka and I wanted to let you know that I have been reading you replies. Thank you so much for leaving them. It breaks down barriers when we write to each other. If we can find some type of peace in the midst of this struggle, and yes it is a struggle. Everyone wanting their man to win. It is stressful.

Let me say this, I wish that along with the election process that so much hatred wasn’t being revealed, but I knew that it would happen and that it would be just a matter of time before it all surfaced. We need each other, like nobodys business, I want to tell all of you, black and white, latino, asian, any race, I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT YOU, NOT ONE OF YOU IS TO BE OUT OF MY LIFE, I NEED YOU ALL. I mean that from my heart. Although, racism makes me furious and hate scares me, l can’t deny my need for everyone. My ideal life would be to see a smile on everyones face when I enter a room, and to give everyone a smile as they enter the room.

I want life to change, I want to see a difference. Mainly because I don’t know how much racism I am supposed to take. I don’t know how much racism any race is supposed to take. But I believe that we have all had enough. It has broken my heart to see the hate. Yet even for me to speak on it and expose the truth, makes people call me racist. That hurts. The only thing I want to know is why people hate me. I can’t tell you the last time, I was around a large group diversified  people, because everyone seems so busy with their own lives and problems. But if we don’t make time for each other, then what good are we? Even in church, you go in and hear your sermon, and that’s about all. It seems that most people don’t trust anyone anymore.

We can’t stay this way forever, we have got to reach out to someone at some time. Why not reach out to a different person everyday, even if it’s just a shy smile or saying thank you when they hold the door open. Why not give a woman a compliment, even if you think she’s prettier than you. You’ll feel better. Let someone by on the pedestrian crosswalk, instead of blowing the horn at them and rushing them to cross, while shooting dirty looks at them? Why not just slow down? Buy a man of another race or another woman a cup of coffee. I did the other day, and it was good. Ok I admit, she was buying a Obama coffee from 7eleven, so I was bias, I still paid. Maybe for you, it could be a Mccain cup. We need to talk. This is why the terrorist were able to do what they did. Racism. Remember, a country divided against itself cannot stand. Anything divided against itself is unable to stand. 9/11 brought something to NewYork, that had not been there in years, it bought a sense of community, and everyman was no longer seen for his color, it was for the stand that he took in his community and the community of others. We need to get back there again. That is one of my missions.

I know that we can’t reach everyone, but if you have any heart left, please try to make a change in your own community, and I didn’t say friends, remember, you’ve already won them over, it’s time to win someone else over. It’s time that we show our good side.