Hello, everyone.

Happy Saturday.

Now I've been hosting on Kalen for 2.5 years now, and it's crazy to think that today's episode is the finale of our third season.

And for this season three finale, I've decided to address it to you all, who I consider my friends, my family, because we, as a collective this year have experienced some of our most challenging in trying times.

It has challenged us mentally, physically and emotionally, and just by my ability to put on for the camera I to have felt the ripple of our most recent events.

It is an absolute blessing and pleasure to do what I do, and I never take any moment for granted.

But as grateful as I am, I want to clarify one thing.

I am not solely here to make you laugh.

In these past couple of weeks, I have encountered more racism than I have in my entire life.

I've been bombarded with racist comments, direct messages and mentions that I found myself in a dark place and as a black gay man.

These responses were not surprising, as I am not oblivious to the fact that racism still exist.

However, it was disappointed it was disappointing that speaking up against racial injustice and systemic racism, which directly affects me on a day to day basis, wouldn't make someone turn against me, regardless of how many times I made them laugh, feel joy or brighten up their day.

So for those of you who haven't noticed, I am black, and when it comes to the rights, freedoms and equality of my people, I will always stand up for us and what is right, and we can agree to disagree on how someone seasons their food.

But when it comes to the fundamental human rights of American citizens, especially those that built this country, I do not and will not waver.

And I understand that I am very blessing.

I've had my share of privileges and opportunities, but that does not negate the fact that I could still be the next hashtag.

And in these past few weeks, many people have reminded me of that reality.

Now I do not necessarily remember the moment I realized I was black, but I've always known that the color of my skin wouldn't afford me the same luxuries or opportunities as other people.

I realized I was black when I went to a predominantly white elementary school.

And then of the kids will like me.

And I remember thinking like, Wow, I think this is different.

I would hear all sorts of micro aggressions like you're like an Oreo where you're really pretty for a black girl or you talk quite and hearing anything like that was hurtful.

Each and every time I get so frustrated with my hair because it looks completely different that of my white classmates that I actually chopped off a piece of my hair because he kept bothering me and I would always see white girls in the class chop off their hair.

So after that happened, my mom finally had enough and sat me down and explained to me the importance of black hair and you know how to take care of it and how to love it.

You know, when I was a child, um, and there was this kid that lived down the street from me and there was one Saturday when he looked through the window and was like, Yeah, like my my memo didn't like me player with you all and the key word there for meat that triggered everything there from me Was y'all like and I was because I was alone.

My old boss used to rotate my name with four other black girls because he couldn't tell us apart.

My daughter came home from day care and told me, and non black classmate told her braised beautiful and they made her feel bad about herself.

You never really have to realize that you're black because you never forget.

I realized my black is essential when I saw how impactful my success could be on my community.

Systematically, black people aren't meant to be successful, and it means that much more.

When we prove that statement to be admit, although we shouldn't have to prove ourselves, there is power and black unity and in black success.

I had a black teacher, Mrs Forbes, who has been instrumental throughout my life, and I vividly remember when she said to me, Next time someone says to you, You talk quite.

I want you to look at them and say What is tough?

White.

And it reminded me that no one could ever take my blackness away from me.

I got to college and I started to join organizations that uplifted the black voice like Black student alliance, Greek life and I just the camaraderie in the community that I had with other black people really empowered me and allowed me to feel strong and proud about everything that I did.

I date so much of all of my attributes of being black to the history of my people and where we've come from all those stories that have been told as well to help shape me as a black man and help me garner the best attributes of what black is.

I just lived down my family lineage.

I see my grand parents went to segregated schools must survive for the right to vote survive.

I mean, my granny pig cut.

The whole country was built on the backs off black people.

Black people were not a monolith.

We are also unique and social, so special in our own way that we each bring something different to the table.

So no matter what we do in this life, no matter what I do in this life, I'm gonna be black at the end of the day and letting everyone know that I could be whatever I want to be and still be black out of all of the oppression, years of struggle and hardship.

Somehow we still laugh.

We still dance, we still saying We still make poetry we're resilient on.

I'm so proud to be blurred.

My blackness is essential to who I am, What I do in who I am soon to become my comedy.

Laughter, joy and entire being is rooted in my blackness, and I would not be able to do Henry acts or or came without it.

And no one gets to pick and choose which parts of me they prefer a showcase.

I've spent a lot of time reflecting on who I am, my purpose in the content I make, and I can assure you that we will always laugh, have fun and be entertained as that's just quiet.

But know that I will always use this powerful and highly influential platform to educate, further, inform and hopefully encourage growth within us all.

So moving forward we will educate ourselves about new cultures, open our minds to experiences other than our own, and lead with a listening and open heart.