Ok, let’s get this straight Jesse Smollett is one individual; his actions do not represent the African-American or the LGBT communities. There is no reason for anyone other than Jessie Smollett to apologize or feel shame for his actions. There is no reason to fear that his actions will cause individuals to assume the next reported hate crime is a farce, though sadly, some will do just that. You don’t see white America apologizing when it is found that the story of that woman being attacked by 3 African American men turned out to be a lie. You don’t see white America stressed out that no one will take future reports of a woman being attacked by a person of color seriously. We are all connected by our human DNA. For some of us, DNA determines our skin color, and as a result, we are grouped as a race. For others, we are born attracted to the same sex, so we are placed into yet another group. No matter what group we may be labeled at our core, we are all individual human beings responsible for our actions. So do not allow others to force you or take it upon yourself to carry Mr. Smollett’s missteps as your burden because you and he share a group designation.