It’s crazy, because at times I was told that I "wasn’t Black enough" and was made to feel that my point of view was not as important. I was also told that it didn’t matter if I was mixed because "at the end of the day, you're Black”.
The colour of my skin should not determine if it was safe for my peers to be around me, but their parents thought different.
The colour of my skin and where I come from should not have to be a factor during the hiring process, for a new job, but you can’t tell that to these big companies.
The colour of my skin and where I grew up should not dictate what my consequences are, but the police don’t seem to agree.
The colour of my skin, the way I wear my hair and the way I carry myself, should not make people jump to conclusions, yet I experience this type of prejudice often.
The colour of my skin should not be threatening, and not just to others, but to myself as well. But it is. So how could you tell me that my Blackness doesn’t matter?
But, I feel like it’s more than just that. They hate because of the beauty that lies in the way that I conduct myself. They may act nonchalant but beyond that, I see that they are intrigued by me. I wonder, if I were any other colour, what would they see? A strong, young individual? But not when it’s me? I tell myself to hold my head high because, if not in those moments, how would I expect to find my place in this world if I am looking down?
- Tiffany