My annual Serious Post...

I consider myself a fairly normal person with just a tinge of "Feminist".  My male co-workers, brother and husband think it's more than a tinge, but they would.  They're men.

So, this article about inner city kids and baby dolls really got me misty.  And by "misty" I mean, "I cried."  I'll let you read it before we discuss:

 

Brooklyn school girls get American Girl store Thrill

Wow.  This was a neat story.  There were so many things swirling in my head as/after I read this.  I'll try to unpack them one by one:

1.  To think that ANY girl of ANY background thinks for one second that she can't do/be (doo bee doo...can't help myself) anything she sets her mind to makes me sad.  So many famous quotes came to mind.  Pick your favorite and write it on your mirror.

 

"If I conceive it, and my heart can believe it - then I can achieve it." - Muhammad Ali

 

Every word in "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" - Dr. Seuss

 

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined." - Henry David Thoreau

 

"So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains, and we never even know we have the key." - The Eagles

 

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't -- you're right." - Henry Ford

These last two quotes takes me to my second "thing". 

2. Why do these kids at such a startlingly young age have it programmed in their heads that there are places "white kids" go?  Or, places "black kids" go or don't go for that matter?  WHY?  Who told them that?  Maybe I live in a teeny-tiny-itty-bitty box of privilege and wealth (NOT!), but I haven't seen TV shows that promote that ideology.  Not TV shows for kids, anyway.  Are adults feeding them that line of bullshit?  If so, SHAME SHAME SHAME on them!  I mean, seriously.  Shame on them!  This really has me angry...

3. Good for their teacher for springing into action.  High praise for this guy, seriously!  I'm willing to bet he has an inner-city-kid-turned-into-a-teacher inspirational story of his own.  (At least I hope he does...that would make this that much more awesome!)  And good for all of those people who saw to it that these girls got their American Girl dream.  They are American girls, after all, and they should enjoy their experience...

4. But I hope the adults involved did not miss this teachable moment.  The moment where they could teach these girls that they are living this dream not because they were complaining to each other about their lot in life but because there are people out there to whom they can express their dreams and who will show them how to make their dreams come true! 

5.  They should make their next trip somewhere "whiter" than D.C. 

6. And please tell me that they aren't going flying on airplanes and staying in swanky hotels because that's what "white people do."  It is what successful people do.  And success comes in many colors and creeds, shapes and sizes and genders.  Well, just two genders.