African American Quotes: Toni Morrison

I struggle with the term African-American and even Black American. I use it in my business as a way to identify my target market. It’s a way of saying, I’m over here. I’m here to help you specifically. As long as there’s inequality in the United States toward Black Women, they are terms I’ll likely continue to use. And if not those, it’ll be some other identifying term.

My problem with the terms is the separateness of them. It’s not only a Black American issue. Rather it’s a non-white American issue. Even Native Americans, those who were here first, are shaved off from Americanism… left out of the true definition of being an American. How ironic.

Toni Morrison’s quote says it so well.

American means white, and Africanist people struggle to make the term applicable to themselves with ethnicity and hyphen after hyphen after hyphen.

~Toni Morrison

I see the  subcategories of Americans as a sort of caste system. In America, it doesn’t simply mean the color of our skin and physical characteristics. It also defines the level of discrimination you’re likely to experience. I find it truly unfortunate.

What I will say is that no matter what “caste of American” you were born into, it doesn’t have to be the end all. The challenges you face may be harder than for others, but success is available to you. However, you not only have to want it, but you have to go for it also.

I encourage you to write down your vision today. Then identify one roadblock standing in your way and map out how you’re going to overcome it. Success happens to those who remove the barriers keeping them from their dreams.

Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. And never, ever stop trying to achieve.