Dear Raven Symone,

I forgive you for every ignorant and discriminatory remark you have made against African-Americans and our kin in an effort to ignore your own cultural history.

But our ancestors were not locked in shackles and whipped until red leaked from their black and blue skin for you to deny our origins.

"I am an American and that's a colorless person" you said.

No one is colorless.

Do not turn a blind eye to the color of our skin, it is far too beautiful to be ignored.

Do not teach our younger brothers and sisters that people do not see color, that is a lie.

There are still some people that clench their purses a little tighter and lock their doors when we walk by.

This is an issue.

We cannot simply ignore the problem and wish for it to go away.

But instead of building us up as African Americans and helping expand our platform you tear us down.

You call our grain of hair "interesting".

You tell us you will not hire us for jobs based on our names.

You come to the aid of someone that said our First Lady looks like she's from Planet of the Apes.

But I forgive you because I see that you have not come to terms wit your own identity.

But I will not watch you spew that upon our people.

Our grain of hair is beautiful.

Our melanin is beautiful.

Our First Lady is beautiful.

I will teach love and self-love to my black brothers and sisters.

We need protection and a safe haven from people who share ideas like yours.

But I can only hope one day, you will embrace us in the way that we use to embrace you.

Sincerely,

A girl you probably wouldn't hire with an "interesting" grain of hair