ALL BLACK EVERYTHING, THE OFFICIAL COLOR OF 2012

My Birthday Celebration 12/3/11 @ Magnet w/Neice & Sister beside me.  Photo Credit: Sam Cox

I am proud of my roots & culture and my parents taught me at a very young age who was born where, from what Islands and to embrace the diversity and languages in my family.  That being said, in the words of Jay Z "All Black Everything" and in the words of the CB4 Rapper "I'm Black y'all, cause I'm black Y'all, I'm black, da black, cause I'm black y'all" YES I'M A BLACK WOMAN and quite proud.  Black History Month is designated as February, but you can celebrate it in your own way every day.  You do without even knowing it, like when you take out your ironing board to get ready each day - that credit goes to a BLACK person. (look them up the names not coming to me right now)  When you jump in your ride and obey the traffic light - credit goes to a BLACK man (his last name is Morgan)  Yeah we have a deep heritage and WE contributed so much to society in the advancement of the U.S. and beyond.

I have filed lots of interesting Black History Facts that I could share with you throughout the 29 days of Black History Month.  From Engineers, to million dollar hair dressers, to peanut butter inventors to washboard scrubbers and more.  Even in the "Laibhen" family (that being my last name which is German meaning Life/love & also to work) I found registered patents for machinery used to help the process of grains flow more quickly when the Agricultural boom was big in the U.S. and the need for slaves in the West Indies to till the ground an integral part of economic growth for the land of the free & the home of the brave.

I deemed the color black the official color of 2012 because you can't go wrong with the color BLACK.  Black is classic, we all know you can wear it with anything.  Black is a dominant color, even within race relations you have Black in you then that would be the square to check.  I would have to say that over the years that government has tried to accommodate other races outside of Black, White & Latino on their paperwork.  There is always "other" and now "Pacific Islander" or "Asian Pacific"  Sometimes I crack up at the different classifications the Gov't wants you to adhere to.  What about the bollywood specials that come into this country their skin is just as dark as the pavement outside but would hold an argument with you that they are not black - OKAY, uh I guess you're white?

My mom taught me to love myself & respect others no matter what their race, creed, religion, or economic status. Those precepts made me a more well rounded person and I definitely wasn't raised with a closed mind.

I was born & raised in Brooklyn!!! Sak Pase, Wah Gwaan? Que hora es? & what's good? Yeah I'm from the hood, you never know what language will fly out my mouth. My cultural diversity is part of my make up.  Don't be ashamed of your heritage embrace it & walk upright!  Cause I'm BLACK Y'ALL!  (lol)