Jalah Wiggins

Kayla Hewitt

ENG 003-004

19 November 2021

Black is who, Black is me

It’s your first day of school and you got your favorite shirt on, and new sneakers.

Yesterday your mom took you to get your hair done. You walk into the double doors happy you

get to show your friends your new outfit. When 3 girls from your class come up to you and ask,

“are those the new Jordan’s” and you reply yes. They proceed to ask “how did you get them no

one has them”. You tell them your dad, they look at each other and laugh. You look around dazed

and confused, they look at you with the most judgmental eyes. “Your dad must be a rapper”, one

of the other girls said “or did he steal them”. You look sad and confused why they would think

your dad who has worked his whole life to become successful would do such a thing. You reply

to them “ no my dad isn’t a criminal, or a rapper, he’s a lawyer and ceo at the biggest firm in

town”. They look at each other confused, asking how your dad could own a firm and he’s black.

You continue to explain your dad went to Harvard, graduated top of his class and worked his butt

off to get to where he was. They just walk off dazed and in disbelief. In the Ted Talk “The danger

of a Single story, Chimamanda N .Adichie talks about her experience coming from Africa to

America. She explains her experience with people in America, and how they only had stories

they’ve heard about Africa and not actually what Africa was.She explains two interactions she

has with her professor she says makes her realize she is an African girl, which she didn’t identify

herself as one really. Her roommate asked if she knew English because of something someone
else told her and how her roommate knew nothing of Africa for real. In history African

American girls have been prejudiced by many people throughout history, which they have heard

stories or are taught these thoughts by family or friends. The way African American girls are

preconceived is based on what American society has taught them or told them, which is why

many African American girls are subjected to stereotypical ideologies.

Girls of color are treated differently based on their looks because people have grown up

with one preconceived perception taught to them by their families. Chimamnda’s roommate

asked her if she knew how to speak English just because she was from Africa. Her roommate had

not had one conversation to even know the primary language of Africa, or even take time to get

to know her more extensively. When I was in high school, the kids would joke around with me

and ask “do you know who your dad is, did he leave for the milk and never come back ?” I took

offense to this, they asked me if I knew my dad because I was a girl of color who went to an

almost all white high school. These kids who I had grown up with, stayed over their houses

didn’t actually know me. When I look at myself I see a person, but to them they just saw a black

girl who was raised by a single mother, and didn’t know her dad. I felt disrespected and confused

at how people I thought were my friend would ask me such a question and have such a prejudice

towards me.

Various people have preconceived notions about how girls of color are supposed to act

and live, based on the things they have been taught and learned. When I was in High school

everything I did was considered ghetto. If I wore eyelashes I was called ghetto, if I was too loud

the teacher would comment “ you know your kind speak lower”. Those comments struck me as

racist and back-handed, because I wanted people to see me for me and not the color of my skin.

My sister is fully black, and the kids in my school would ask if she was adopted. The kids would
assume things about my life because I was a black girl. They would never assume these ideas

about the white kids in my class. When I got to senior year a girl I considered a friend turned and

asked me what is your country like. I looked at her confused, I did not know rather to fight her or

enlighten her with education. I felt as if she was trying to be funny because I was black. My

classmates would say you remind me of madea, or big momma, which are black characters.

Many stereotypes are made about girls of color on a daily basis. The amount of people

who judge girls of color based on what they have been told are many to lots. As a black woman

I have been subjected to these unfair standards and racist prenotions by American society. I say

that to say this, black is who I am, if you don’t see my color you don’t see.
 Work Cited

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. “The Danger of a Single Story”. TED Talks Education, November

11, 2021,

https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.

Accessed November 19, 2021