Many citizens born in the United States think that the white-Black conundrum we still face is a purely American one. Americans who have never traveled or lived in a place that is heavily populated by individuals of other nationalities or ethnicities may have never faced global anti-Black discrimination and may not even be aware of its existence. However, the concept of making the world anti-Black was hatched on the European Continent centuries ago and transported to American shores. In the mid-1400’s, it was the Portuguese that first started enslaving Africans and transporting them to the New World to work without compensation, depriving them of living any meaningful life filled with happiness and self-determination. The Spanish, English, French and Dutch quickly followed the Portuguese’ example because the expansion of European colonies in the New World meant more people were needed to develop the land. And, all of these groups landed on the same conclusion, what could be better than forced, free labor? This need led to the launching of the transatlantic slave trade, one of the most brutal genocides to ever take place on Earth lasting over three hundred and fifty years. During this genocide between 12 and 18 million Africans were forcefully transported to the Americas, with an estimated 2 to 2.5 million dying during the Middle Passage and in the first year of enslavement. And today, racism is still fully entrenched on American soil and beyond.

Also, the customs and beliefs manufactured during slavery are alive and well. They are so fully indoctrinated into American culture many of us don’t even recognize them when they are at play.  Not so surprisingly, it was the U.S. that intensified the ideology once the grand hoax was hatched for one reason and one reason only… greed. Whites on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean were getting filthy rich. Greed, sanctioned by our Lord and Savior, according to some, masqueraded in the light of day as capitalism because Black bodies were viewed as no more than commodities, and to keep the money flowing, the entire world had to buy into the mythology.

During the 1600’s, claims that Africans were subhuman started to circulate purely to justify the slave trade and colonial domination. The manufactured hoax turned out to be extremely profitable! The Bordeaux Academy’s Contest of 1739 focused on the “cause of Blackness”! This exemplifies how Europeans worked to institutionalized anti-Black ideology. A whole pseudo-science was created around racial doctrine to explain and justify Black inferiority. Colonial America from 1641 to 1740 codified laws, especially in British colonies, that made racial hierarchy legally mandated. These laws were known as the slave codes. Falsely codifying baseless concepts made blackness legally synonymous with enslavement and hereditary status. These acts on American soil intensified the falsehood of Black inferiority, and became a rigid, hereditary, legally enforced caste system that was exported globally through culture, science, and geopolitics. The false dogma of Black inferiority that garners worldwide acceptance is still used to dole out harsh punishment upon Black bodies for any number of reasons, to include made up ones, if a white person in power sees fit. Case in point, the illegal firings, and dismissals of thousands of federal workers just because a billionaire said it would save America trillions of dollars, and the workers weren’t doing anything meaningful or useful. These baseless assertions harmed Black federal workers, especially Black females, overwhelming more than other ethnic groups. Yet, no one in power stopped it, and now, almost daily, we see the ill effects of baseless actions, not backed up by empirical research taken by wealthy white billionaires not even born in America.

Even as a 60-year-old Southern, college educated African American, who understands global anti-Black dogma, I still find it hard to shake the shock of actual encounters of anti-Black sentiment up close and personally. I have been blessed to travel to 12 countries on four continents and have worked for over 20 years with immigrants hailing from Asia, South America, and Africa, yet I am still stunned when faced with anti-Black sentiment. This is true partially because I grew up thinking race relations in the United States had improved tremendously over my lifetime. From my vantage point, they had improved. But, sadly, I now understand that I wasn’t seeing the entire picture! It appears some whites I encountered at school and on the job during the 80s, 90s and early 2000s were behaving as they knew they had to or face unpleasant consequences. But with re-election of the current U.S. President in the Twenty-First Century, some white Americans seem to view the small gains made by Black Americans as an affront to their God-giving privileges. Whoever thought this would even be a topic of conversation in the Twenty-First Century? I thought I would be discussing driving my first flying car, getting teleported to foreign lands, or buying a Rosie robot to complete my chores around the house! Not re-hashing centuries’ old falsehoods.

Before the re-election of the current American President, I did not spend much time pondering how racism was destroying or limiting my life on a daily basis. Yet, of course, I knew racism existed but felt the impacts of racism only touched me occasionally and/or in a superficial manner. But today racism which drives anti-Black sentiment is pretty hard to avoid. The American government appears poised to destroy my lifestyle at any moment, while white people I have known for years applaud its efforts.

Recently, I went on an Alaskan cruise and anti-Black dogma slapped me right in my face almost daily. Don’t get me wrong, the cruise was phenomenal. I would do it all again in a New York minute if the opportunity arose. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I learned so much about the Alaskan climate, animals, and people. I think my brain expanded a bit more, and for that I will be eternally grateful. But on the cruise I encountered anti-Black sentiment more than a few times. After living in a predominantly Black county outside of the Washington, DC area for over 24 years, my lived encounters with anti-Black sentiment have been reduced quite a bit. When traveling to other places, sometimes I am taken aback by how few Black people I see. One can be left with the impression, “Who barred Black people from coming here?” In the county I currently reside in it is exactly the opposite. Sometimes it’s weird to see large numbers of whites depending on where or what one is doing! But to understand that anti-Black sentiment is alive well wherever I am, all I have to do daily in 2026 is turn on CNN, MSNOW or watch my local newscast. The people at the helm of the American political leadership structure are using racial discriminatory doctrine as aptly as any European headed to a colony in the New World on a slave ship two hundred and fifty years ago, minus the chains and whips.

But what brings the topic of anti-Black sentiment to the top of my mind are the various microaggressions I encountered for 10 days on my Alaskan cruise. My fellow shipmates and the crew working on board were from all over the world and numbered approximately 2800. They hailed from various Caribbean Islands, Asia, Scandinavia, and other European locations. Of course, many fellow Americans were aboard also. There was a very large number of Asian crew members on the ship. Many of them worked in the spas located on board, and it was at one of these salons that I encountered one of the most open and honest microaggressions I probably have ever witnessed in my adult life. Thank God I was prepared when the situation arose. It came from a Filipino woman. The microaggression, like they always are, was not intended to cause any harm whatsoever. This is why it was committed so openly. She was just speaking freely unknowingly revealing her racist sentiment. I think most likely she is totally ignorant of the offensive nature of her own anti-Black beliefs and self-loathing. Microaggressions are indirect, subtle, or unintentional discriminations against members of a marginalized group. They can be verbal or non-verbal insults that target a person’s ethnicity, country of origin, race, color, age, gender, sexuality, disability status, religious affiliation, or economic status. And, they can be committed by anyone. Their impacts can be devastating, especially over time. This is why I took this opportunity to instruct. Not in a mean or nasty way but in a manner that just maybe the young Filipino woman would see the world from a different vantage point. I will never know if I made a positive impression or not, and if I had to guess, I think I probably didn’t. But I could not let the moment slip away without at least trying.

I showed up for a pedicure on the day I had this experience. When I arrived, there were two Filipino ladies working in the salon. Both of the workers were nice enough upon my arrival. Another client, a white lady around my age, had a pedicure scheduled at the same time as mine, and we arrived at the same time. We both had problems finding the salon. It was tucked away behind a wall that hid its signage and entrance until you were right upon it. The salon was small but impressive. Three pedicure stations faced a wall of windows that looked out on to the sea. You were able to look out onto an endless ocean view while getting pampered. It was very relaxing. To the left of where the pedicure stations were set up, there were four nail stations. One worker was finishing up another client’s pedicure when we arrived. The worker quickly finished the client up and I along with the other customer were seated beside each other for our treatments. It turned out the other client just so happened to be from the state I have resided in for 24 years – Maryland. She was very friendly from the start and engaged in conversation with the two Filipino ladies working on our toes!

At the various salons around the ship there were IV’s. The white lady asked about the IV’s, “Is there a doctor or nurse administering the IV’s to the ships’ occupants?” One of the workers quickly responded, “Yes, a nurse administers them. Are you interested in having one administered?” She also inquired if I wanted one. I was wondering what was up with the IV’s when I first spotted them at the beginning of the cruise but didn’t inquire because I knew I couldn’t be interested in whatever they were selling. The white lady responded, with a polite, “No.” I smiled and shook my head, thinking to myself are these people bat shit crazy. The Filipino lady that was working on my feet quickly chimed in to sell all of the wonderful effects derived from having one administered.

 On this particular cruise line, the spa employees I encountered were very quick to try to upsell you on additional products and procedures during your requested service. When I got a massage a few days earlier, an Asian worker performing my massage quickly informed me. “If you get two massages, the third one is free!” I politely declined.

The worker performing our pedicures continued pushing the IV’s, but not in a rude way, “The IV’s help with many issues. There are individual solutions that help with weight loss, hydration, hair and nail growth and skin lightening!” The lady working on my pedicure offered, “Filipinos love white skin!” while looking and smiling at the other client. There it was! Hundreds of years of anti-Black sentiment showing up right when I was trying to relax, enjoying the view, and getting my feet beautified! I looked at the white lady and said with a smile, “I love my skin just the way it is.” My fellow Marylander just smiled back. The two Filipinos went back to working on our pedicures.

Of course, the Filipino lady saw nothing wrong with her statement, and no one responded to what I said. She did not view her comment as wrong or insensitive in any way, and maybe it wasn’t. But it does reveal the indoctrination of the global population regarding nothing more than a made-up myth hundreds of years ago still circulating around the globe. The worker probably thought that poor Black–just plug in any noun that you think fits based on your own anti-Black sentiments. And, that goes for all races of the world even other Black folk.

I’ve already stated that we all entertain these false notions. They are so ingrained in the global culture; even Black people have negative feelings about Black people as a collective. That says a lot about the effectiveness of the anti-Black campaign being pushed upon the world for hundreds of years. The very fact that race is not even biological is a whole other discussion for a later day. To further add to my belief that the Filipino lady probably pities me is the Natasha doll currently being hyped up in China. Yes, I know the worker is from the Philippines, and the Natasha doll is sold in China, but anti-Black sentiment permeates the world. Chinese people actually spend money on a small doll that looks like a Black baby. The trend involves viral social media videos featuring a squishy, silicone stress toy that looks like a Black baby that one can brutalized. People stretch, squeeze, in other words roughed up the Black baby to relieve their stress levels. Imagine that? Symbolically hurting a baby actually relieves stress. When asked why a Black baby is being used for this purpose, the response was, “They look less human.”

I have a hard time wrapping my mind around how this age-old cultural phenomenon is still at play in the world. Black is ugly. Black is bad. Yet, a large segment of the music playlist broadcasted daily on the ship was by Black artists. Black folks are known for creating the culture that everyone in the world loves to imitate and talk about! It is just mind numbing the irrational belief a large segment of the entire world holds on to implemented five hundred years ago. All the while they are spending money to copy our butts, lips, hair, fashion sense, food, and music! And, let’s not talk about sports. While some even worship sun tanning their bodies! Make it make sense!

Other microaggressions were displayed on the ship too! On vacation I tend to wear my hair in braided styles. As a natural girlie it just requires less work in the morning, and I am able to start my day quickly. Plus, there are no worries about whether it is raining or extra humid out that day. While sporting braids I know that my hair will hold up and remain presentable all day, no matter what elements are present in the atmosphere that day. On the ship I saw older white men staring at me as if I was an alien. Conversely and noteworthy, white women tended to compliment me on my braided hairstyle! But back to the white men. I simply turned my gaze away and carried on doing whatever human activity I was engaged. But I did not miss those looks. I am not sure if they were just looking at me or my hair, or both! Maybe they even liked the hairstyle. But from their facial expressions I would guess they didn’t. Also, at times when other whites entered the elevator my husband and I were riding in, they refused to acknowledge our presence. These microaggressions are what Blacks must deal with daily. I can’t say I spend a lot of time thinking or worrying about them, but they are noticed, and I understand what they convey. I pray that is all I am doing–noticing. I pray they are not slowly chipping away at my self-esteem causing me to have an anti-Black mindset, or negatively affecting my bodily functions, like blood pressure. I don’t think so because I am a very proud African American woman, who has no desire at all to be anything other than what I am. But no one on Earth likes to be hated. That’s why I had to use my short time with the spa worker that day to at least try to open her eyes, regardless if it penetrated her mind or not. I pray my comment informed her in some small way that everyone in the world does not value white skin. And, maybe she can embrace who she is fully and not try to present herself in a fashion to gain acceptance in a world delirious over whiteness.

The saddest part to this whole conundrum is that people on top want to stay on top regardless of whether the privilege is deserved or not and will harm others in order to do so.  This is true regardless of whether the whole economic pie, the U.S. economy is the pie I am referring to, is large enough to share with everyone or not. When people armed with empirical and historical facts that address the myths and falsehoods surrounding race, many white Americans see it as an attack on their whiteness. Somehow calling out a bastardly false deed such as white supremacy tramples on their white pride. They find it diminishes their self-worth somehow, or at least that is what some of them say. Calling out white supremacy does not mean you should be ashamed of your whiteness. But everyone should be ashamed of practicing white supremacy and work to combat it.

Thankfully, there is a large segment of Americans of all stripes, religions, and races, that do understand anti-Black dogma is entrenched in the minds of the world’s citizenry and that it is wrong. Many of us, especially in my age group, fully understand that with the re-election of our current President and the havoc he is wreaking upon this land will result in us most likely having to spend the rest of our lives re-litigating cases won long ago, and fixing what he intentionally broke. Legal cases that we thought closed the door on the debate of if Black people had a right to pursue a life filled with happiness, freedom, and an ability to live out our destinies as we see fit. At the heart of the debate is if Black people are really human! Imagine debating this in the Twenty-First century when race is a made-up concept with no basis in biology at all. This is nuts!

It’s true if you repeat something, true or false, long enough with a big enough megaphone, it infiltrates the whole society. The story of how Blacks are inferior is one of those falsehoods that is burning across the world like a mad forest fire that can’t be put out. It was created around five hundred years ago, refined over hundreds of years, and today that same story is being taught to others again to strip away my peoples hard won rights and dignity. The rights that people like me thought could never be stripped away. We are living in a very dangerous time! And, to quote Corretta Scott King, “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never, really won, you earn it and win it in every generation.” The world must teach all babies what this quote means because history teaches us over and over again, once this time passes, a time like this will come again, and they must be prepared. I think my generation is woefully unprepared to meet this moment, but we are learning through improvisation and the history well documenting how civil rights were won in the past.