I am pissed, scared, disheartened, and in disbelief. The systems we have in place were never designed for MY PEOPLE to succeed OR BE PROTECTED. I am a major proponent for higher education, financial independence, and community building buT lately I’ve been forced to consider why.
Why does any of the things I do for myself, my family, or my community matter? GOD FORBID THIS BUT One day I can be in the same position as George Floyd, Mike Brown, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland AND so many others that were violently wronged at the hands of law enforcement. It can be me that is brutally murdered for being considered threatening for reaching for my wallet. ME. A 5’7 thin framed, well-spoken, highly accomplished Black woman but they will only see the Black skin that I carry.
They won’t see the not 1 but 2 college degrees. They won’t hesitate to consider the positive mentoring of young adults interested in STEM. THEY WON’T SEE THE #GIRLYNERD THAT IS A SCIENTIST PAVING THE WAY FOR OTHERS THAT LOOK LIKE ME TO SEE THEMSELVES IN THE FIELD. They won’t see the world traveler who finds joy in experiencing new cultures. My identity, accomplishments, and accolades will be reduced to the mere fact that I have a higher concentration of melanin in my skin. That is it.
I don’t feel like anything I’ve done or planned to do matterS to the society I am trying so hard to impress. I am BLACK before anything else. They see me and they see color before they see that I am woman, DAUGHTER, SISTER, AUNT, FRIEND, OR ADVOCATE. My SKIN color is what will be seen as threatening.
We don’t GET TO decide what race we are born. God made me Black because we are strong, resilient, and powerful. You hate me because my hair forms coils. You hate me because I don’t burn in the sun. You hate me because I am physically superior to you and your kin. You hate us for something we can’t control. BUT i am PROUD AF TO BE BLACK.
We have been hated, hunted, tortured, raped, AND mutilated for years! The more I learn amount the torment AND TRAGEDIES my people have been through in this country the less enthusiastic I am to be here. When will enough be enough? WHEN You reach your goal of eradicating us then who is next?! Have we not provided any MEANINGFUL value to society? Do Black people not become educators, inventors, or politicians that change the world? What is it that you want from us?
Your ancestors CAPTURED, ENSLAVED, AND TRANSPORTED us onTO this land. We did NOT ask to be here.
As we are here now trying to do our best to make the most of the life we have been given, I honestly want to know do we not even deserve A chance. As a Black woman working in corporate America, do I not deserve a seat at the table if I just so happen to make it there?
Equality will only begin if we all dismantle the barriers that continue to keep us segregated and those of WHICH minimize the value of Black people in this country.
