Emily S.,
Baltimore, MD.
A phrase in Haitian Kreyol which means, literally, “I’m not called ‘White'” or “My name is not ‘White”. It was a phrase I became accustom to shouting back to calls of “Blanc, Blanc, Blanc” everywhere I went, by Haitian children and adults alike. I almost hadn’t noticed my skin color up until then…until it was my identifier and proclaimed for all to hear.
People were always good natured about my response though. They would ask me what my name was, so in the future they would just shout my name when I passed. I love Haiti, but I will never feel completely comfortable there, due to all that transpired on the island in the last 200+ years. I don’t think I should feel comfortable.
