Selena JP,
Empowering Youth Towards Excellence (EYTE) Program,
Elizabeth, NJ

There is a great irony regarding my 6 words story- from both society and ourselves. As black women in America, in particular, we are held at a higher standard but we’re constantly at the bottom of the barrel. We are the ones who are blatantly overlooked, but they (society and fellow black men) have the audacity to say “suck it up, buttercup”. The nerve America has- the nerve our own kind has. The story of a black girl’s dilemma in America could be shared universally, let’s be honest. Black girls never get the prop they deserve from their style, their attitude, nor their drive. It’s like everyone wants to be us but they’ll never truly love us.

We are told from a young age to cover ourselves because our curves attract vultures. We are told we’re too black to be beautiful. Or the common backhanded compliments we received growing up, “You’re really pretty for a black girl”. We try to grow our hair out in its kinky, coily state- it’s perceived as “unprofessional, messy, ghetto, untamed”. We finally manage to break our backs to change who we are and we’re told to stop “acting white”. And my personal favorite: when we enunciate our words, or speak fluently with eloquent words, we’re told that we “speak white”. You see, the dilemma of being a black girl in America, even the world, is clearly apparent.

So, ask yourself this: why is being a black girl so difficult?