Stacey Dusenbury
My 6 words describe the fact that I was fortunate enough to grow up in a majority white neighborhood and lived in a big house but for some reason my entire life I’ve been almost teased for it as if never living in poverty makes you somehow less black. I’ve been told and challenged by so many people throughout my life even to this day in regard to this topic. “you didn’t grow up in the hood, you’re not really black.” and I find it interesting most of the comments made like this are from other black people. So my 6 words is to say growing up ‘rich’ or in a neighborhood where I was the minority does not somehow make me less black. I am black every single day and face the same challenges as every other black person that I know in this world. Every time I have to have this conversation it feels like being rejected from what it is to be ‘Black’ and from white people as well because growing up in that neighborhood is where I experienced the most racism and at a very young age. I may have had different experiences than someone growing up in a more urban community but…I am still just as black.
