My dad is black and does not like when people say African-American because it insinuates that we did not originate here. He was born and raised on American soil, so therefore he is American, not anything else. I wish everyone thought this way. Life would be ALOT less complicated.
Growing up, my dad was very strict and as a result I was very well-behaved, very quiet, but also very goal-oriented. A lot of people didn't understand or like the goal-oriented/driven part about me because they thought I was trying to show off or whatever, but my dad taught us to be that way.
He grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina during a time when schools were still segregated and crosses were still being burned and left in people's front yards. Somehow, during our Sunday morning, breakfast conversations (when I was a kid) , he always managed to overlook that part of his past and instead focus on stories about his youth that might teach us a lesson.
He talked about how he went to an integrated school so he could play football, his prom night, working in the fields with his dad, practicing for basketball, and meeting the Air Force recruiter. I once asked about the racism and segregation, but he just brushed it off. "Nah, I didn't worry about any of that." That's how my dad is. If it will cause negativity in your life, just brush it off, turn around, and keep heading in a better direction. This has become one of the most important lessons in my life and something I constantly remind myself to do.
My dad thought about the future when he was a kid and how it could turn out. He chose the best direction for him and now he is a successful and incredibly business-savvy person. Even though I disagreed with him a lot, and still sometimes do, I couldn't have asked for a better role model.
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