When you are the only black in the department and some of your colleagues are mean to you, you think it’s because they are racist. You think they are picking on you because you are black and things would be better if more black people were hired. And then things change, the group grows and then there are more black people – mean ones and good ones. Then you realize that black people can also be mean, jealous and judgmental especially at work. And yes, because you are black, the meanness of black people hurts you the most because you thought things would be better with them.

Then you start reflecting and race stops being the main variable with which you judge people. Things such as personality, values and attitude begin to feature more in your selection of friends. Suddenly you find that there are white people whose values resonate with yours and you can be close friends with them. You end up with a group of friends from different racial groups not because you designed it that way but because what you share is much deeper – values! You realize that being mean, jealous and judgmental is not always about race – unfortunately human beings have a tendency to be mean to others in order to feel better about themselves.

Makes you think! There are idiots, scumbags and vixens in every race – their business is to hurt, kill and destroy. So the next time you meet one of their kind look deeper because what they are doing may have nothing to do with their race, it is just who they are. #WiseUp