Being black in an all white school
My experience growing up was a strange one to say the least, I went to a really good school so naturally it contained 98% white people. Me being a young black girl being brought up in this environment was definetly a challenge and it took me awhile to find myself. All my life I've had to deal with being seen as an oreo by black people but too black for the white people. Yeah I had all the common issues, whenever I would get my hair done, I would be asked if my hair had grown overnight, how I wash my hair with my braids in and general annoying questions. As a general rule if you have some questions about black hair don't ask me because I ain't gonna be the one to educate you, the only comment you should have on my hair is that it looks nice or just don't comment.
One thing I am thankful about is that I went to a mostly black youth club, because this is where I got exposed to black culture, something I was highly deficient of in school
Because I was so used to my school, I didn't even notice some of the
So when some new black people joined my sixth form and they said the school was a bit racist and everything was centred towards the white students, to be honest I hadn't even noticed this.
If I compare my experience being at my all white school to being at uni and being friends with almost exclusively people from ACS, I would say that my university enivronment was more naturally comfortable to me. Maybe it's because for the first time I didn't walk into a room and known I was seen as an 'other' but now I was finally part of the majority.
While I would say it's been a bumpy road up till this point in a way I'm very grateful for my upbringing. Although it's nice to live in an ACS bubble or my own ethnic utopia this is not the real world and something every aspiring to be successful person of colour has to know is how to exist and thrive against the odds in white spaces. Maybe I've been given a slight advantage in this area and maybe my experiences will be a benefit not a hindrance in the future.
One thing I am thankful about is that I went to a mostly black youth club, because this is where I got exposed to black culture, something I was highly deficient of in school
Because I was so used to my school, I didn't even notice some of the
So when some new black people joined my sixth form and they said the school was a bit racist and everything was centred towards the white students, to be honest I hadn't even noticed this.
If I compare my experience being at my all white school to being at uni and being friends with almost exclusively people from ACS, I would say that my university enivronment was more naturally comfortable to me. Maybe it's because for the first time I didn't walk into a room and known I was seen as an 'other' but now I was finally part of the majority.
While I would say it's been a bumpy road up till this point in a way I'm very grateful for my upbringing. Although it's nice to live in an ACS bubble or my own ethnic utopia this is not the real world and something every aspiring to be successful person of colour has to know is how to exist and thrive against the odds in white spaces. Maybe I've been given a slight advantage in this area and maybe my experiences will be a benefit not a hindrance in the future.
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