I don't want to sound cliche or anything, but in my honest experience I have only ever really been able to relate to Mahogany cards. I don't know what it is, but they seem to express how I truly feel about the recipient of the card. They typically address the ups and downs of relationships, but despite the "downs" how one couldn't imagine their life without said person. It may even go as far as to say that the hard times are worth it in the end and somehow have even strengthened the relationship. They address the hard work of a father who may come in daily wearing sweaty clothes and paint stains on his boots and how you appreciate what he has done for your family. They express appreciation for a father or grandfather's spiritual guidance and leadership and how it has made you into the person you are or that the family wouldn't be as strong without him. They have even made cards for single mothers on Father's Day to acknowledge her strength and hard work to make ends meet. If I buy a card for someone I want it to mean something. I want them to really feel loved and appreciated for being who they are to me. No shade against any other type of card, but this has been my experience. Needless to say, I walked out of Walmart without a card. There was not a single Mahogany card in sight, which sort of upset me because I don't understand why there wasn't one card with a picture of a person who looked like me or my loved one on it - or that used words that I would used and conveyed a heart-felt message to which I could relate. If I had gone to the "other" side of town I probably would have been in business.
Now, I am in no way, shape, or form insinuating that Mahogany or "Black" cards are any better than other cards, but they are my preference or a blank one on which I can handwrite my message...and by the way I picked that up from my newly adopted Caucasian "second mother". She has taught me the importance of a handwritten card, specifically with "thank you" notes, but I'm sure it's just as special for any other occasion.
My question is: now that I have openly shared this preference and the reason behind it, what does that say about me and my attitude towards other races and even my own race? Does that make me slightly racist? Do I think my race is superior or are there simply just some noticeable cultural differences that I have discovered and decided to embrace? I never thought about race until I became a student at a predominantly white institution (PWI) and experienced racism at it's finest. My experiences there have changed me and I am often confused about how I feel and the thoughts I have from time to time. I don't think I'm racist. I love my Caucasian family members, I love my "second mother and father" that I mentioned earlier, I love my White friends, I enjoy working in a majority white environment, and I don't walk around with my tail on my shoulders pulling "the race card" every time something goes wrong, but why do I question whether or not I should feel guilty or ashamed for not buying a card because I couldn't find a Mahogany brand?
Please respectfully comment and share your thoughts and opinions.
Yours Truly,
Dre' Xolani
