Embracing your Heritage

I am a seventeen year old African American female. Although I love myself and my heritage, I have found that during my years on this earth, there are things that more difficult for me. As a black woman, I have to overcome the disadvantage of being a member of two underrepresented groups. I have to deal with another form of discrimination that is not shared by White women or Black men: Invisibility. This means my presence is more likely to go unnoticed and my voice more likely to go unheard. I have to deal with the typical stereotype of people thinking I am loud, and uneducated by nature. It’s not easy being who you are when nobody thinks you are that person. The fact that I am considered a minority. Although this is noted and accepted, I still find it hard to live my life as a young adult while trying to prepare for my future because I feel as though I am just apart of another statistic. I am told often that it’s be a miracle to get into the college of my dreams simply because I am not white. If I do gain acceptance into an Ivy League or private University, it’d be simply because of “minority count”. I am just as intellectual, well mannered, and determined as my fellow Caucasian peers. It can be hard to prove yourself in a world that thinks you are naturally dangerous, vulgar, and the ultimate underachiever. Although there are many disadvantages of being black. There are also some advantages that some call “black privileges”. Black people have the upper-hand when it comes to being recruited for athletics. Although I avoid conflict and I am anything but violent, it’s nice to know that people think twice before getting into an altercation or argument with me. If I ever become anything influential to the world, the praise I would get will be completely amazing. African Americans are usually held so low, that when we do anything from a scholarship to the Nobel Peace Prize, we gain praise because we overcame the adversity to do something, anything, and everything. I am more than my skin color.