Being Black is so hard sometimes.' Title from a Redditor Poster

(M63 Blk) A simple solution to all of what you said. KNOWLEDGE. Know who you are. You can not get that in any school....not even in College.I was born in the year 1960. I was home alone when the TV blasted Dr. King's death, I started crying. My mother came home and asked me what was the problem... I told her...'The King is dead.' Black AND White people walking arm in arm through The South Bronx singing 'We shall overcome'.... someday.

12 years old, 'Fresh Air Fund' took us kids out of the city to Upstate NY for 6 weeks. With 2 nights in, we were rushed into our cabins, a White Couselor lying between our bunks with a rifle. I looked out the window and I saw Ghost. The KKK, this was Summer of 1972.

All my teachers in Public School were White, except for my 4th Grade teacher...Black and a woman. It was in her class I learned to enjoy reading and what it offered. Reading takes you away to places in your mind. Places that make you want to visit them in the future.

Junior High School. My principal was Black, Dr. M. The whole 7th Grade class went to 8th Grade and 9th Grade together. My teacher, a Black man, Mr. F. command of the English language..he has. Tweed coat, and patches on his elbows. Required reading...Jack London's. 'Call of The Wild'. "Dat Spitz fight lak hell, An' dat Buck fight lak two hells," I did not want to go to High School in The Bronx, I didn't. Passed the test to get into Art and Design High School, in Manhattan. Then my eyes open further.

I felt I was being boxed in in HS. All my classes were art because my reading and math scores were college, 4th year. Dropped out and went into the Army at 17. And here is where I learned about LIFE.

1977, in West Germany, 17 years old..and if all hell broke loose... We all the American Soldiers had 72 hours to live. There were over 300,00 Soldiers and American families, with kids. There was no Black against White, we were all one color...OD Green, Military, SOLDIERS. We laughed, we cried and we shed blood all together, not in a War, but accidents do happen. When as a Black man you visit other countries and see how people live compared to the way you live in America, your state, your city...your block!! Then you see why everyone wants to come TO America. It's sad, that you handing out your c-Rations to a family who has nothing to eat. It's also scary as fuck when those people believe that Black Men grow tales at 12 midnight... And they take out a knife and try to scrape your color off your skin because they have never seen a Black American before..in person.

1980... I came back to The United States and came home on leave for 62 days. The family moved from The South Bronx to The West Bronx. I go walking around the neighborhood, at night...and then I hear 2 gunshots, then a large group of Young Black teenagers run past me. then... Then here comes this one White teenager, trying to load a .38. Looks up and sees me. He asked me did they run past you? I nodded. He then asked me 'How am I doing?'. and walks away. Days later a group of White guys jumped out of a van and started swinging on every Black teenager that was sitting in the park. One approached me as I was sitting on the back of the bench. I looked him in the eyes, and he did the same. He went after someone else. I didn't move, I didn't flinch. All I thought was...' he has ONLY one swing with that bat, it will be his last.'

60 Days later... Ft. Jackson, SC. I report in for duty, Assigned to a Transportation Unit, I am a Truck Driver now, and I am also a Spec4. Walk into the motor pool and ask a Staff sergeant..' Hey Sarg, where is 3rd Platoons Trucks located here in this Pool?' He turned around and said..' Listen N8gger, I am a Staff Sargent and you address me as such.' I got tunnel vision, shit went ..it started fading. I said nothing, and I walked away. I got even, him coming from the NCO Club one night...drunk. I didn't hurt him, I embarrassed him. I tied him up somewhere open, where he couldn't;t be missed by seeing naked.

1982... I am Honorably Discharged from The Army. What I learned, they do not teach that in college. I couldn't stay planted in NYC, so I traveled along The East Coast, The Far East, and Hawaii as a Cook. 43 years as a Cook, and every year I worked. The experience I have in Cooking, I've been told is Chef Quality, but I didn't go to Culinary School. I went from job to job learning different functions in the kitchen, different functions in the dining area, and didn't functions to get a Restaurant up and running. I know where to get anything distributed to anywhere along the East Coast. in 5 different States. Again, you can't learn that anywhere in Culinary School, they just teach you the basics.

2022... I'm retired. I don't have to be on time to anywhere. I don't have to put up with anything. I do what I want when I want. I do not live in NYC, I live in a town, that is mostly White people..but I am totally okay with that. I also have been. Because I've seen the world. Been to countries and seen some shit...that would make you cry on how people are treated and the way they are forced to live. Then come back to the United States..and They THINK... I shake my head...NO.