“Ghetto, thug, aggressive, criminal, nappy, too, yn, angry, ganglish”. The list goes on. These are words some people use when talking to, describing, or even just thinking when there’s African Americans present. I’ve been called at least five of these things.

“Ghetto”. When you look up this word it would say “a poor urban area occupied primarily by a minority group.” Making me wonder, how did this word get tied to me? Was it my big bamboo earrings, the braids in my hair, the gold jewelry around my neck and on my arms on my darker toned skin? What made me “ghetto”? I thought about that interaction the rest of the day, and when the next day came there were no gold jewelry bamboo earrings, and my hair was pulled into a ponytail. This was only in elementary school,11 years old being bullied about what I grew up around, things worn by the beautiful Black women around me. Bullied by the type of person that should make you feel safe, a teacher. This is only one of many experiences.

“Too dark.” “Your pretty for a Black girl” and “If you weren’t so dark, we could be something” two things I remember being said to me from two different people. These aren’t compliments. Pretty for a Black girl? Meaning Black women aren’t meant to be pretty, or that you don’t often find anyone of darker complexion attractive, or as if they’re in disbelief of a Black woman being appealing.

“Aggressive, Rude, Mean.” All words Black women get called when standing up for themselves, putting them foots down, expressing themselves and other things of that nature. “Angry Black woman” people call it. When a woman of color doesn’t shut up and hold in her feelings. How do we express ourselves without being called angry. We can’t. Yet that won’t ever stop me, I feel no one should feel as if their feelings are invalid just because of their skin or where they come from.

I now and will forever be proud of my skin, hair, the things I wear and standing up for myself no matter what anyone has to say, and no one can take that from me.