I can not speak on what it means to be a man, but I can speak on what it means to be a woman.
I can speak to what it means to be a woman of Color. I can speak on what it means to be a woman of color with curly "unprofessional hair". Hair that was passed down from my ancestors, that shows the world my differentiation from White America,
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I can speak on what it means to be a woman of color with unprofessional hair, who is bilingual, a second generation in America and a first generation in College. Where I don't know how to academically succeed but told I am suppose to because I have it in me.
I can speak on what its like for someone to make rules and regulations on my body when the constitution swears separation of church and state. Where protesters stand in front of planned parenthood and judge me for using services that I cannot afford out of pocket that will help me know if I have cancer, if I conceived, or if I need support.
I can speak on what it's like to have a mother who works the same 16 hour shifts and still earn 75 cents to a man's dollar. Where her true payment is seeing her children prosper in a world built against them.
I can speak on the fear I contain when I am walking at night, because the world teaches don't get raped, instead of "DON'T RAPE". Where my body is taught that it's not mine until its get violate; because I dressed this body wrong, this body was at the wrong time and place, and my body got what it deserved.
I can share the stories of those who demise and dismiss me as I am nothing more than a statistic in waiting in their eyes.
Being a woman is facing the life that I have no choice but to bleed every month, and pads, tampons, and hygienic products are considered an luxury, but condoms are handed out because practicing safe sex is more important than providing protection for a bleeding uterus.
I can tell you on what is it like to have an empty feeling in your chest wishing you were adequate enough to support yourself, your family and future, while trying to strive financial and academic success so that your sacrifice and your parent's sacrifice does not go in vain.
They tell us to be strong, to be independent, and to have the mentality of a man to make it in this world, while baring the femininity my body brings. Because to be a woman I must have a sharp tongue, but not be a bitch, I must being a leader, but too much will be dictator, because I must be emotional, but its just hormonal.
I can tell you how confused I am to live in a time where hypocrisy is telling me I need to be able to fight for what I need, while I am shunned for my aggressiveness. Where I need to sit down and shut up because I am too young to truly know how disgusting the world is while I sit across from people who laugh about shootings, police brutality, and weeding out the weak in this country.
Or that I need to be proud of my bilingual tongue and my heritage, but I need to embrace the American Dream that fits the hands of a white rich man, but not the hands of a small, soft, low income woman.
Being a woman is a double edge sword. With in me I have power to be who I am, but it is who I am that can take away my power.
