Not unicorns

My husband has a lot of great t-shirts that he likes to wear. They represent his heart and thoughts about racism, black pride, black history, etc. He often gets comments and most definitely gets looks. 

The Black Lives Matter shirt of course gets a mix of 'Love your shirt' and 'What about all lives matter' comments.

His Black Panther t-shirt of course gets a lot of fists in the air or pursed lips on frowned faces.

His 'Danger: Educated Black Man' seems to evoke either great joy or extreme irritation.

His 'I Defy Sterotypes' seems to be a crowd pleaser to all.

Today. Was an interesting day.  He was wearing a newer shirt that he hasn't worn before and the statement on the shirt is: 'I am my ancestors wildest dreams'.

We were in Barnes and Nobles and we had separated, looking for a book I wanted to buy. I heard someone talking to him and saw that it was a woman we had gone to church with at Elmbrook (who by the way KNOWS from a Facebook argument quite awhile ago that I cannot tolerate her racist ideology and thankfully knew not to come and say hi when Marlon pointed me out to her). When Marlon and I reconnected he asked if had seen who he was talking to. I said yes. He told me that what she had said when she saw his shirt was kind of strange and caught him off guard. She looked at him and said, 'That shirt is totally cracking me up!'  He told me that if he hadn't been caught so off guard he should have asked her, 'Why?' 

Later when we were in line to check out the woman in front of us read his shirt, laughed and then said, 'Well, that's a nice shirt but you know it could go either way.'  She was kind of old so I didn't ask, but I wanted to say, 'What do you mean by that?'

1. What about that quote is hilarious?

2. What other way could it go?

Help me. What am I missing?  

Seriously. Any help you can give me would be great.

I know that it is easy to fall prey to the stererotypes. I know that we can all overlook our own bias and prejudice and we have to actively examine our own racist ideology in order to break free from it.

And I also know that there are just crazy racist people who say ignorant stuff about 'niggas' and 'thugs' and 'them' and 'those people'.  I do my best to stay away from folks who think like that and just hold them at arm's length because.  Well, I'm too old to be whooping anyone's ass.  

But it's the best intention people that intrique me. And I don't think I will ever understand.

People who think it is disrespectful to the flag to kneel. Why?  And if you still stick to that thinking....are you making and sharing memes about all of the people who go to the concessions stand, talk on their phone or go to the bathroom during the anthem?  Because, I mean that's being disrespectful too then, right? And if the kneeling bothers you for the reason you say it does, then those other things should piss you off just as much, correct?  Or maybe deep down t's really the movement of black men protesting police brutality and the killing of black men that bothers you.

People who think it is disrespectful to cops to wear a Black Lives Matter t-shirt or be a part of the BLM movement. Why? All lives DON'T matter so please get outta here with that crap. I mean they do, of course, but our country is not reflective of all mattering...it is a part of the fabric that we began on. And the simple fact that white people get SO PISSED about the Black Lives Matter movement?  Well, that's one of the first indications that all lives don't matter. 

People who understand protest but just wish it wasn't volatile and didn't get so violent. Why? The 60s were spent with much non-violent protest and white people hated that too. Just ask Martin Luther King Jr's family. That's a cop out to me. To try and dictate what kind of protest and what kind of outrage there should be? To say, 'But maybe others would listen better if you met them halfway with a strong, silent kind of protest, one they better understood.'  Maybe. But maybe others have had plenty of time to listen but really they don't give a damn because what doesn't affect them, doesn't affect them. 

People who try to understand and be considerate of a racist's point of view. That will never be me. Not now. I have not patience for that willful ignorance. Because today there are plenty of books, movies, articles, groups, and people to learn from to begin to understand the human experience of being non white in this country. So if someone is racist in this day and age?  They are racist because they choose to be. And I ain't got time for that. 

I could go on and on. 

My sons who are all in college. They are not unicorns. 

My husband who is an involved dad. He is not a unicorn.

My coworkers who are professionals. They are not unicorns. 

My family that has both triumph and trouble. Is not a unicorn. 

And the less people see my sons, husband, coworkers and family as unicorns?

I believe the less people will think it's hilarious that my husband is proud to be his ancestor's wildest dreams.

That's what I've got today.