Race Baiting Is Exhausting. For Everybody.

Every morning, before I've even had a chance to convince myself to get out of bed, social media is already yelling.

A racist customer.
A racist cop.
A racist teacher.
A racist company.
A racist neighbor.
A racist cashier who allegedly looked at someone for 1.7 seconds too long.

Some of these stories are absolutely real. Some expose behavior that deserves attention. Some uncover problems that need to be addressed. But somewhere along the line, outrage stopped being the exception and became the business model.

And that's exhausting.

As a Black person, I'm tired of opening my phone and feeling like the internet wants to remind me every single day that somebody somewhere hates me. Whether the story is accurate, exaggerated, missing context, or eventually proven false barely matters by the time it reaches millions of people. The emotional effect is already there.

After a while, you start wondering if the world is actually getting worse, or if algorithms have simply figured out that fear and anger keep us scrolling.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: if your news feed convinces you that racial conflict is happening around every corner, you're going to start seeing racial conflict around every corner.

That isn't healthy. It's also unfair.

Most white people aren't racists. Most Black people aren't walking around expecting racism from every person they meet. Most people are simply trying to get through work, pay bills, raise kids, and figure out why eggs suddenly cost as much as a car payment.

Yet social media rarely rewards ordinary interactions. Nobody posts, "500 people treated me with kindness today."

Instead, we amplify the one awful encounter because outrage gets clicks, comments, shares, and ad revenue. Decency doesn't trend.

There's another side to this that doesn't get discussed enough.

Imagine being a white person who doesn't have a prejudiced bone in your body, yet every day you're confronted with headlines that imply your race needs to answer for the actions of someone you've never met.

That has to be exhausting too.

It creates a conversation where people stop listening because they're already preparing their defense.

Meanwhile, the actual racists, who make up a tiny fraction of the population, get far more influence than they deserve because we hand them the microphone every single day.

We should absolutely call out genuine racism.

We should absolutely seek justice when people are treated unfairly.

But we don't have to build an entire culture around hunting for the next racial controversy before we've even finished discussing or resolving the last one.

Constant outrage has consequences.

• It increases anxiety.
• It fuels suspicion.
• It makes neighbors view one another through stereotypes instead of shared experiences.

Worst of all, it convinces people that progress is impossible, even when history shows we've come much farther than many are willing to admit.

The goal shouldn't be pretending racism doesn't exist.

The goal should be refusing to let racism become the lens through which we interpret every interaction.

Because if every disagreement becomes racism...

If every misunderstanding becomes discrimination...

If every headline becomes another reminder that America is hopelessly divided...

Then the people making money from our anger have already won.

Sometimes common sense means acknowledging that a problem exists without allowing it to consume your identity. I'm not saying that we need fewer conversations about race. Maybe we just need more honest ones.

The kind that don't begin with outrage and don't end with everyone hating each other just a little bit more.

The Curious Disappearance of Cursive Writing

 I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but...

...why exactly did schools decide cursive was the skill that had to go?

I'm told it's because we needed more time for technology. Fair enough. Kids should know how to use a keyboard. But somehow they can spend hours learning standardized test strategies and social media trends, yet fifteen minutes a day teaching handwriting became too much?

Call me crazy, but three thoughts cross my mind.

First, if nobody can read cursive anymore, fewer people can read old letters, journals, family records, and even parts of our own history without someone translating it for us. That's an odd way to preserve the past. It means that someone else (the government) will have to recreate those documents and translate for younger generations. Think about the things that will probably be "lost in translation".

Second, it seems that the less we write by hand, the more dependent we become on devices. Every note, reminder, and idea now belongs to a phone, tablet, or cloud server somewhere instead of on a piece of paper. No more analog thoughts. Only digital ones that can be tracked and somehow monetized with ads. Funny how independence quietly became inconvenience.

Third, signatures are slowly becoming meaningless. Today's kids are growing up in a world where a fingerprint or face scan matters more than their own handwriting. Maybe that's progress. Maybe it's just one more thing we're handing over to technology.

Do I actually believe there's a secret meeting where people plotted the downfall of cursive? Maybe. Maybe not.

But I do think we've become a little too eager to throw away simple skills because they're "old-fashioned." Not everything from the past deserves to stay there.

Sometimes common sense isn't asking if something is old. It's asking whether replacing it actually made us better.

Young People: Your Clothes Speak Before You Do

There's an old saying that goes, "Don't judge a book by its cover."

Beautiful sentiment.

Too bad society never got the memo.

Whether we like it or not, people make assumptions before we ever open our mouths. They judge our hairstyle, our shoes, our posture, our facial expressions, and yes... our clothes. Is it fair? Not always. Is it reality? Every single day.

Common sense tells us that first impressions matter because people are wired to make quick decisions. Before someone hears your intelligence, experiences your personality, or appreciates your work ethic, they've already built a mental profile based on what they see.

That's why attire isn't about vanity. It's about strategy.

Dress for the Opportunity You Want

Too many people insist, "People should accept me for who I am."

In a perfect world, they would. In the real world, perception opens doors long before personality gets the chance.

Imagine showing up to a job interview wearing gym shorts and flip-flops. You might be the smartest applicant in the room, but you've already created doubt before answering the first question.

Now imagine attending a funeral dressed for the beach or walking into a courtroom wearing clothes better suited for a gym. Your outfit instantly communicates that you either don't understand the moment or don't respect it. Nowadays, it's usually the latter.

Clothing has always been a language. The only question is whether you're speaking it fluently.

Every Environment Has a Uniform

Not every uniform comes with a badge. Business professionals wear suits because they project competence. Construction workers wear safety gear because the job demands protection. Doctors wear lab coats because patients associate them with trust and expertise. Athletes wear uniforms because they represent a team.

Even casual environments have unwritten dress codes.

You wouldn't wear a tuxedo to mow the lawn. You probably wouldn't wear pajamas to a wedding (although I think that I've seen it before).

Context matters.

Dressing appropriately isn't pretending to be someone else. It's showing respect for the occasion and the people around you.

The Reality of a Prejudicial Society

Let's stop pretending prejudice only exists in major social issues because folks prejudge everything.

Restaurants, neighborhoods, cars, businesses, and people.

That doesn't mean we should encourage prejudice. It means we should understand how the world works.  You can't always control someone else's assumptions, but you can control the information you give them. 

Your appearance becomes part of your introduction.

Why make your first sentence harder to overcome?

Confidence Begins Before the Conversation

Something interesting happens when you dress with intention.

• You stand differently.
• You walk differently.
• You communicate differently.
• Your confidence often rises to meet your presentation.

It's not because expensive clothes magically create confidence. It's because preparation creates confidence. When you know you look appropriate for the situation, one less distraction exists between you and your goal.

Common Sense Isn't About Expensive Labels

This isn't an argument for designer brands or thousand-dollar suits. It's about cleanliness, neatness, and appropriateness. 

You don't need a luxury wardrobe to make a strong impression. You simply need to understand where you're going and dress accordingly.

A well-fitted outfit from a discount store will almost always outshine an expensive outfit that's wrinkled, stained, or completely inappropriate for the occasion.

The Bottom Line

Life gives everyone enough obstacles without volunteering to create new ones. If changing your shirt, cleaning up your shoes, or putting on the right outfit increases your chances of being taken seriously, why fight that reality?

Your clothes won't define your character, but they often determine whether people stay around long enough to discover it.

And that's not shallow. That's reality.