![]() Still, even when a professor or peer is earnestly applauding me, I can’t help but hear that conversation from over a decade ago: 'Yeah, you do know that doesn’t mean anything, right?' 'You needed this more than I did.' 'This isn’t fair.' 'It’s because you're Black. Today I'm in university and have garnered multiple accolades and awards for my hard work. Still, for my own friends to feel absolutely defeated by a 'smart Black' because of their own internalized stereotypes about Blackness HURT. Updated on 08/30/17 Imagine Dragons (formed 2008) emerged from the Las Vegas, Nevada rock scene to become one of the worlds top rock bands beginning in 2012. "I was 11 at the time and had already had conversation about race with my mother. Later that week, my 'friends' decided to show me some more gratitude: They jumped into a conversation that ultimately translated into my Blackness being the only reason I was gifted with my awards." I won an outstanding number of awards at my fifth-grade ceremony, and it was a heartwarming moment for me and my teachers. Thunder Lyrics Verse 1 Just a young gun with a quick fuse I was uptight, wanna let loose I was dreaming of bigger things And wanna leave my own life behind Not a 'Yes, sir,' not a follower Fit. I was a STAR student and a bit of a teacher’s pet. However, that didn’t stop my mom from encouraging me to perform my best academically. "I was outrageously shy and timid in elementary school. They also asked if I would do their dry cleaning."Ģ0. A few years back, some of my colleagues were talking in the staff lounge and made the joke that they needed their nails done, and they should ask me. "As an adult, I'm a music teacher in an elementary school, and I am one of four staff members out of 90 who represent BIPOC. She giggled and said she was still going to call me 'my cute little concubine.' ![]() When I asked her if she knew what it meant, she said no and I explained it to her. One of my peers thought it was a compliment and cute to call me a concubine. "In college, I was maybe one of three students who weren’t white. Can you see better out the sides?' But the wildest one was when a girl started petting my hair and said, 'Wow, your hair is so shiny, thick, and coarse. ![]() They all started to touch my skin and hair and made comments like, 'Your skin is so dark' or 'Your eyes are shaped weird. Run into sin, do it all in the name of fun, fun. Once, I was surrounded by six or seven white girls at recess. Jump and we think, 'Leave it all in the game of love, love'. "This was difficult and strange for me because I had no one in my family to talk about this with or give support.
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