What advice would you give to those men and women struggling with their racial identity? How should they handle this with all that is going on in the world?
As DuBois said, identity is a double consciousness; partly how we see ourselves and partly how the world sees us. I would add to his great wisdom that age and time shift the balance. Meaning the older and more self-aware we get, the more we realize it really doesn't matter how others judge us; we get to decide who we are, where we want to be in community, and with whom, the issues that matter to us. To me race is more about consciousness than anything else. Light skin don't make you white and dark skin don't make you woke. Becoming more prosperous can take you away from your community, your ancestry, but you don't have to let it. To me, how your brain, heart and soul behave in challenging moments defines who you are.
Should we expect some great things from you in 2018?
Well, in 2018 I'm wrapping up my Real American book tour and then plunging into writing my third book - a sequel to How to Raise an Adult - aimed at those Millennials who struggle with how to #adult. I've also got some opportunities to bring Real American into more communities, schools, and even corporations which I'm super excited about.