You might’ve grown up listening to Greenday, or Panic at the Disco. Maybe you’ve never seen “Don’t Be A Menace”, or “The Color Purple”. Maybe you have done all of these things it’s just that you're “talk too white”.

There are specific characteristics that society tells black people they must have in order to truly be considered a black person.

These characteristics were created by the majority and are fueled by the minority. So if you don’t listen to trap music, you're still black. If you like to watch anime, you're still black. If you don’t have the stereotypical version of a hyper-sexualized black body, guess what? You're still black.

Dear black person, you are black enough.

As humans, we are constantly in the search of who we are, how we want to live our lives, and how we want to contribute to society. This expedition of life is hard enough without getting put in constricting boxes that are taped shut with labels that confine our very being. Yet, being an “alternative” black person brings criticism from not only non-black people but black people themselves.

Non-black people are used to seeing this demeaning image of the “twerking black girl”, and the counterfactual version of the “rapping black boy”; Instead of seeing the thriving black people at both PWIs and HBCUs trying to become doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, etc.

There are also strong criticisms from black people themselves who claim that you’re not “down for the culture”, and you get asked this offensive question of “are you really even black?.” This conflicting state of being causes major anxiety and low self-esteem, and you find yourself asking that very same question “Am I really even black?”

Not fitting into your assigned box as a black person can be lonely.

Sometimes you want to talk about institutional racism with someone who’s actually going through it and listen to Weezer at the same time, you want to do both. You may never find a person who you can engage in these activities with, so you can feel rejected by those who question your blackness.

Dear black person, your feelings of rejection are completely valid.

I’m here to say that there is so much more to you than society tries to confine within you. You don’t have to be completely alternative and reject the black culture because you feel rejected.

You as a person have the choice to be whoever you want.

You can listen to A$AP Rocky and watch "Death Note" and still be immersed in the black culture. Your interests are your interest, and that’s okay. So don’t dare question if you are apart of this culture. Dear black person, you are black enough.