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As an infant, I nestled in the arms of a beautiful black woman who gave me life, fed me, clothed me; bathed me, disciplined me when my behavior was out-of-line; nursed me to health when I fell ill and reassured me when I was scared, insecure and uncertain.

Everyday, I look into the eyes and enjoy the warm embrace of a beautiful black woman who is not only my lover, soulmate, best friend, mother of my three beautiful black children; she’s my wife. I’m the proud Father of three black children whose beauty is only eclipsed by their laughter, love of life, kindness to others and a strong embrace of fairness. I’m the brother of 5 sisters and two brothers whose beautiful skin tone ranges from dark to light brown.

I’m in awe of my AFRICAN ANCESTORS who ENDURED the horrors of Slavery, the indignity of 2nd Class citizenship, the inequities of discrimination; the injustices inherent in our Justice system; the whims of economic downturns. Yes, my AFRICAN and AFRICAN-AMERICAN Ancestors who were tethered to hostile social constructs and shouldered the burden of our freedom movements while people of other races were free to enjoy the trappings of material wealth, white privilege and prosperity. I will forever be in awe of my beautiful black grandmother who cleaned the homes of white folks to feed and clothe her family. Yeah, my grandmother had to endure the indignities of domestic servitude. She mopped floors in the beauiful homes of suburban neighborhoods. She washed laundry, cleaned windows, scrubbed toilets and made life comfortable for white families. And at the end of an exhausting day of cleaning, she had to walk back to the bus stop in her slow gait and return home to life as mom and grandma in the village.

I’m an AFRICAN-AMERICAN, A BLACK MAN, a Man of Color, a BROTHA, FATHER, HUSBAND, NEPHEW and a FRIEND whose skin tone is of a DARK hue. I’m proud of my DNA, my AFRICAN heritage, my BIOLOGY; my CULTURE, my RACIAL MAKE-UP, my SKIN TONE; and my AMERICAN citizenship. I will NEVER deny, minimize or relegate who I am as a BLACK MAN for some feigned notion of patriotism.

I’ve NEVER struggled with this question. We’re all blessed to be the descendants of a people that sprang from the cradle of civilization to build vast empires, establish the foundation of our religious and spiritual traditions; gaze into the heavens and navigate great bodies of water without the sophistication of contemporary technological advances. And while slavery was the fate of millions of my African ancestors; while our homeland was pillaged, plundered, divided and parceled for the economic benefit of other nations, there emerged the children of this great people – born in the Americas – whose hardship, toil and suffering would not only stain a nation, but through their blood, redeem the very soil upon which a United States would stand.

Some of our greatest thinkers had this history in mind when wrestling with our collective identity. Bridging the gap between our African Ancestry and the nation of our physical birth was no easy task, given the mental and physical decimation our ancestors endured. When you’re born a nigger, raised nigger, beaten as a nigger; sold to other “masters” as a nigger, raped as a nigger; clothed as a nigger, fed as a nigger and treated by the law, state and country as a nigger, the persisting self-hatred lasts for generations. The words, “colored” and “black” were ONLY acceptable to previous generations because they were less demeaning PREFIXES to an awfully hateful word – Nigger. Get it? Colored Nigger! Black Nigger!

The term African-American bridges the gap between our ancestry and place of birth. I am AFRICAN by ancestry and American by birth. A simple concept with profound consequences for our identity and self-esteem as a people. The Irish NEVER question their ancestry. The Polish NEVER question their ancestry. The Greeks NEVER question their ancestry. And although you don’t often hear the term, Irish- American, you can bet your last dollar that every Irish person in this country will refer to themselves as Irish; with a great deal of respect and warmth toward Ireland.

Our hang up? Well, when a White man can swing on vines with a gurgling and fearsome yell in a supposed African forrest where the Apes are more intelligent than its human inhabitants, it’s no wonder self-hatred for the hue of our skin and the place we call “motherland” is rejected. But I wholeheartedly embrace my African Ancestry, my African Ancestors and my African heritage. As do I embrace my American heritage and my physical place of birth. The soil of this great nation is soaked with the blood of our Ancestors. They were brought here in chains, but we sprang from their loins a proud and free people.

I AM A PROUD AFRICAN AMERICAN!

Ron Holland is host of the Public Affairs show, ‘COMMUNITY VOICES’ on WPZS -100.9 & 92.7 FM, Charlotte. He’s also Assistant Production Manager, Producer and Board Operator for both WOSF – Old School 105.3 and Praise WPZS -100.9 & 92.7 FM. Any thoughts on this week’s commentary send Ron an email: ronholland@radio-one.com