I never think much about the fact that I am black.
I know I am black.
Like I know I am a girl,
Like I know I am an American,
Like I know I am nineteen.
It is a fact; I am black.

I hate when people say I am not.
My parents are black.
Their parents are black.
We are black.
Look at my skin,
It's dark and it's beautiful.
How could I not be black?
I am black.

I hate when people say I don't 'act' black.
How does one act to be considered black?
How am I acting? How is it not black?
Look at my skin,
It's dark and it's beautiful.
How could I not act black?
I am black.

I hate when people say I speak like a white person.
A way of speaking is not exclusive to race.
I am not white.
I do not speak like a white person.
My words are coming out of my black mouth.
I speak properly,
The way my black parents raised me to.
Look at my skin,
Its dark and it's beautiful.
How could I not speak black?
I am black.

I HATE when people say I am a white person trapped in a black body.
I have NEVER heard anything more insulting.
I am NOT trapped.
This color is NOT a cell.
I wear it proudly.
Look at MY skin,
It is DARK and it is BEAUTIFUL!
How could I ever be trapped?
I am black.

I am in no way white,
Nor do I ever want to be.
I am black
And black is beautiful

Just because they don't wolf whistle when you enter a room
Doesn't mean you're ugly, they're just oblivious to your beauty
The fact that you think differently
Doesn't mean you're dumb, your intellect is simply extraordinary
Dear friend, don't throw it all away
All because of some unfortunate soul who didn't ask you to stay
They're the one's missing out, because they refused to dig through all the trash
To find the treasure.

Sweet sixteen,
What's so sweet about being sixteen?
My year of fearlessness, of jubilee,
Of new beginnings
And staying true to me