I eat chicken. I eat watermelon. I also eat Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, but who are you to assume that I will pick up the generic brand over the well-known brand?

I can afford it, yes, but I will take the generic brand over the labeled brand in a heartbeat.  If you look at the underlining label of the generic merchandise over the branded merchandise, you can see that the ingredients are the same … so, why be the fool who pays extra money for colorful packaging and a name brand?

I do not want to eat you, Ben and Jerry’s, or wear you, Hollister, but as human beings, we are generic; our names are what separate us. If we are to be stripped away from religion, culture, knowledge, etc. we will all just be a pile of skin and bones marinated in blood.

So please, invisibly, separate me from you. Yes, I am a Higher Education Opportunity Program student (HEOP/AHANA). Yes, I love watermelon and chicken, and yes, I know that what I just mentioned “proves the stigmatism” that I am African-American … to you. Not every student of color is an HEOP student, or loves watermelon, or loves chicken. I know some African-Americans who are regular-admission students at Le Moyne College, and are mistaken as HEOP students due to the color of their skin. I even know some African-Americans who are allergic to watermelon, and some who are vegetarians.

Underneath the pigmentation that brands me as an African-American, my blood is that of Caribbean descent, but wait, we are all the same because you have blood too, don’t you? So please, do not separate me from you.

Yes, it is Black History Month. Do not suddenly recognize me, just remember me and acknowledge my name: Carshena Andrews. Do not suddenly recognize February, but do remember and acknowledge its significance that the African American ancestry made it possible for me to talk to you, and you, and you.

I loved the African flag in the library, and its movies on display. I loved the African American dinner. I appreciate it all. I love it all; honestly, I do. This month should not be recognized as only one month of the year, though, to recognize African-Americans and their triumphs with the help of some presidents, who seem to have their birthdays during this month, too. The victories of African-Americans should be taken into account every day because every day, I am given the opportunity to talk to someone of a diverse background. So please, do me a favor, break down the walls  stigmas, and I say break down the walls, not because I am tough and play Rugby, but truthfully, we need to break down these “invisible barriers” and focus on promoting awareness every day, not for me, but for you and our future generation. We are in this together, so let’s intertwine and become one.

Thank you.