I Am Not Your Black Experience

I am not your Black Experience. I am not your Kool-Aid to go with a side of fried chicken. I am more than my dark skin and big voice. I am more than my rolling curves and kinky hair.

I am not your token Black person. I’m not your boo-thang or your nigga, and honestly, there is nothing special about my hair. I am not defined by my dancing abilities, how well I sing, or if I play sports. I am not limited to your closed-minded stereotypes of “pat yo weave” and “cousin TT”. I am not your pass into colored social groups and a prejudice free life.

I am the sum of generations past, and bearer of rich legacy. I am a culmination of the breezy Caribbean and humid south. I am the daughter of those once enslaved and the sister of those freed. I am the voice of my experience, my life and my story. I am me.

Do not label me with your preconceived ideas of what it is to be Black. Take me for who I am and let my character color me. Let me show you who I am as you show me who you are. I am not your Black Experience, but I will be a friend.