American Muslima Writer -Daring to Work Towards Jannah

Some of my favorite books to read are Historical ROmance. I inherited a large shelf stuffed with historical Romances. Mainly of England. Beautiful Opinionated White women being sought after by Mr. Tall Dark and White Handsome. I loved the books and still do but at the age of 14 I kept searching book stores and came across "Black Romance". I thought wow that is interesting that they seperate the romance section Why can't there be mixed heros and heroines.
Later about 15/16ish I was watching boxing with my Grandfather and simultaniously formulating a plot and characters for my book when I hear "Up next England's Best Boxer from ***Shire." I look up expecting to see Mr Tall Dark and White Handsome and see a very dark gentleman pumping his boxing gloves together. My eyebrows rose but then when he started talking they nearly rose straight off my face. He had a british accent! Imagine that! a black person in England. I was beyond shocked not because of the boxer but because of my own stupidity and lack of knowledge. All books I ever read had whites in them and all history books talked about white kings and queens and royalty. I grew up with mexican friends and black friends but never did I ever hear of black poeple in England. I was angry that I was so stupid and lived in such a country that has so little multi-culturism that I'm 15/16 and was shocked by a black person with a british accent.
The same thing happened later when IN Lebanon and had learned by then that poeple from all over are all different colors and that is wonderful. I was introduced to a woman who was from SOuth Africa. I was therefore quite confused to meet a white woman with a british accent. She saw my confusion and was so sweet to me and explained about colonization and such. I felt stupid again. WHy does this keep happening. I'm not racist in any way I have friends from all colors and love them equally and dearly. But somehow becuase of the way I was raised in USA I didn't know that just because someone is from a certain area they have to be a certain color.
I just read an entry reply on PM's blog where someone said "I didn't know Puerto Ricans had (black) people." I relived the shame of that day watching the boxing match.
I read Angry Muslimah's entry on the injustice of Black WOman being treated unfairly in marriages especially darker blacks. Again I felt I wanted to comment that I'm glad she's sticking up for the sisters that need it but I was so ashamed from the day of the boxing match so I didn't reply.
I met a Canadian sister recently and was expecting to meet a white woman and was plesently surprised to see she was light black and had three beautiful dark kids. I didn't treat her differently of course because as I said I have friends from all walks of life and we had a wonderful long evening, but still WHY did I assume she was white before I met her?
So now I'm saying it for the world to hear WHY don't people understnad that there are people of all colors from all places? WHY am I constantly shocked and SHAMED?!?! I'm not racist I'M NOT!!!!!!!!! SO WHY the constant shock when I meet new people? WHy was I brought up to not know and expect things to be different?
What kind of thing should you call it when, as a child, you don't buy Black Romance novels? When you don't buy the black Barbies/dolls? When "Black Pollyanna" comes on and you get bored and switch on the white Pollyanna and are facinated? WHAT IS UP WITH THIS?!?!?! I don't like it! I'm ashamed of this!
Why didn't anyone ever tell me there ARE Black People in England!