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We Will Rise: A Spoken Word About Inequality For Black Women in America

As a black woman in America I wanted to write something that reflected how I feel about the inequality that we endure due to our double barrier: gender and race.

NiaSymone Francisco

Feb 22, 2020

University of South Florida

We Will Rise: A Spoken Word About Inequality For Black Women in America

Pinterest.com

Pain and suffering,

Trial and tribulation,

Heart breaking sensation...

Do you know?

Do you know what it's like to be black in America?

Do you know what it's like being a black woman in America?

Fighting two barriers of inequality every single day...

Race and gender.

Trying our hardest to rise above our oppressors

We stand tall and stand proud,
Demanding our equal rights in the crowd

We are conflicted...

Conflicted with the image that society has painted for us…

Are we supposed to be loud and angry or submissive and dainty?

Am I supposed to be your mammy or am I supposed to stand up to your tyranny?

No matter what we try, we are seen as too hard or too soft…

Where does my mysterious happy medium exist?

Tell me why I am being put in a box just for you to suppress my superiority?

I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired,

You need to see that I am not skin and I am not my gender,

I'm not saying I'm a pretender and I'm definitely not suggesting color blindness...

I'm simply saying that black women are humans with feelings,

and we are fed up with dealing with this cruel and wicked world…

Don't belittle me or swaddle me because you're scared of my potential!

Damn it, let me be great because in the words of Andra Day, I will rise up, rise like the day...

I will find a place on this earth where I will be celebrated and elevated, appreciated and educated, and my black girl magic can radiate,

So when I come out on top there'll be no debate, when my melanated self says checkmate...

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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We Will Rise: A Spoken Word About Inequality For Black Women in America

As a black woman in America I wanted to write something that reflected how I feel about the inequality that we endure due to our double barrier: gender and race.

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#Adulting is hard.

1. Taking care of yourself when you're sick

2. Making a to-do list

3. Planning your activities around the weather

4. Scheduling your own doctor’s appointments

5. Getting your own toilet paper

6. Making food without needing to ask your mom questions

7. Holding your tongue

8. Saving your paycheck (or your tax refund) to pay your bills

9. Balancing your checkbook

10. Going places alone

11. Packing your own lunches

12. Actually eating your vegetables...on purpose

13. Taking a multivitamin

14. Planning a life after graduation

Sometimes bigger isn't always better.

1. If something happens, everyone knows about it

2. Never getting to be invisible

3. Knowing every single thing about every single person in the town

4. New kids are a big deal

5. It’s hard to make new friends

6. On that note ... the dating pool is even smaller!

7. Teachers are weirdly close to their students

8. It forced you to make friends out of school

"I'm hopeless and awkward and desperate for love"

1. That Time He Tested Out His Flirting Skills and This Happened

2. When He Was Willing to Do Anything to Avoid Confrontation

3. When He Couldn't Handle Awkward, Emotional Situations

4. How He Reacted Whenever His Friends Ignored Him

5. All of the Times He Worried About His Failing Love Life

6. Whenever He Tried to Whip Himself Into Shape

7. How He Handled New People and New Experiences

8. Whenever His Friends Got Annoying, He Was Always the Voice of Reason

9. He Always Knew How to Jam

10. He Finds a Way to Make Any Situation More Fun

No, I can't help you.

1. When a customer wants to return a product, hands you the receipt, where is printed "ALL SALES ARE FINAL" in all caps.

2. Just because you might be having a bad day, and you're in a crappy mood, doesn't make it okay for you to yell at me or be rude to me. I'm a person with feelings, just like you.

3. People refusing to be put on hold when a customer is standing right in front of you. Oh, how I wish I could just hang up on you!

4. Having the same conversations over and over again! To be honest I really don't even want to talk to you right now, or have this fake ass smile on my face!

5. Always having to have a smile on your face. I promise I'm not as happy as I may look!

6. Customers not understanding that sometimes, mistakes happen. I am a human being, we all mess up sometimes!

7. Having the boss from hell, it's their way or the highway! Even though I did my job correctly and efficiently, if I don't do it the exact way you do, I'm a piece of shit.

8. Having coworker who don't help out, who bend the rules just enough to screw you over.

9. Having to be at work after closing because a customer is taking forever and half! Not like I'd like to go home or anything!

10. Having shitty hours and more shifts than you asked for. Just because we don't have enough workers, doesn't mean I want to pick up every shift that you cant cover, oh great boss of mine!

11. Not having time for a social life. It gets old saying, "I can't I have work..." Every day of the week!

12. Having that lazy costumer who can't do anything for themselves... no please I'll get that, it's no problem at all!

It's just my face, I swear.

1. When you meet new people, they automatically assume you hate them or are rude.

2. People are constantly asking you if you're OK.

3. After being friends with someone for a while, they confess to you, "I thought you were so mean when I first met you," or, "I thought you hated me."

4. You get told to smile more, but they don't understand how scary that would be.

5. You're always labeled as seeming "judgy."

6. Passing a friend with your RBF in full force and not realizing you just shot them a death glare.

7. Being sarcastic, but everyone thinks you're outright rude.

8. Not knowing how mean you really look until you see a picture of yourself in resting face.

9. Your apologies never sound sincere because of your emotionless face.

10. Your "mad face" scares you.

11. And, lastly, people are constantly asking you if you are happy or having a good time because you look bored to death.

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