'Unknowingly, I started to reject all of the parts of myself that were Black.'
The school bus screeched to a halt. My mother, a Black Fijian woman who proudly embraced her natural ’fro, was waiting for me at the bus stop.My stomach sank and I put my head down as I hurriedly got off the bus. I didn’t know what that word meant, but I knew it was something I should be ashamed of.As an adult, due to my mixed heritage, many people describe me as “white-appearing” or racially ambiguous.
Anything that drew attention to me seemed to warrant verbal racial abuse . But if I stayed in the shadows, kept myself small, and downplayed my intelligence, these attacks were less frequent. This created a major separation in my identity. Not only did I know that aligning myself closer to my dad would be safer, I also saw whiteness as the path to success.
At the height of my burnout, in 2018, I was traveling constantly. I was also always sick: getting pneumonia, losing my voice just before an event that I was hosting, harboring a cough that never went away. Once my mentor pointed this out, I brought it up in therapy and worked on understanding the depths of how I had disassociated from my Blackness and everything that my mom represented. Lots of small things came to light — like how I continued to straighten my hair before professional events. I wish I could sit here and write that I am now whole and I have found a full sense of belonging in the world. But that wouldn’t be true.
日本 最新ニュース, 日本 見出し
Similar News:他のニュース ソースから収集した、これに似たニュース記事を読むこともできます。
Yes, you really do need this color in your diet — here's whyWhy is the color green so good for you? From better digestion to lowering the risk of cancer, here’s why it’s pretty powerful.
続きを読む »
White House once again urges Congress to pass funding for CovidWithout the funds, the U.S. faces major cutbacks in its Covid response efforts, including its ability to buy vaccines and treatments.
続きを読む »
Riding Solo! Why Shaun White Isn’t Attending Oscars With GF Nina DobrevShaun White is continuing his retirement tour with an appearance at the 2022 OSCARS — but Nina Dobrev won’t be his date. Here's why:
続きを読む »
EXCLUSIVE: Pangaia’s Foray From Fashion to FoodMaterials innovator Pangaia is getting into food with Pangaia Health and its Super Super Bars — here's why.
続きを読む »
Tornadoes hit large cities: This is whyIt’s a common myth that tornadoes don’t hit large cities, but that's simply not true -- they are just less common. Here's why.
続きを読む »