Personal Narrative: The Black Lives Matters Movement

Maya Angelou once said, “Your ancestors took the lash, the branding iron, humiliations and oppression because one day they believed you would come along to flesh out the dream.” I am a black woman who isn’t tragically cursed by the color of my skin but privileged to to understand the trials of my ancestors. Within the works of Lorraine Hansberry, Zora Hurston, and Alice Walker, I have learned that as a black woman I must never let my creative mind go to waste because of the great oppression my ancestors have faced. Coming to Spelman has made me go through many challenges and has helped me to think outside of the box. With just reading the works of these creative black women and going in depth of these works has taught me lessons of how to appreciate my ancestry, to continue the dream, and never be afraid to take that jump with the knowledge that I am given.

The diversity that may be found all around the world and in our very community has always fascinated me. I am aware that it is a widely held belief that being a minority is considered a disadvantage in various aspects and I would disagree with this. Diversity and culture is a two-way street- as a community, whether that be society as a whole or simply a freshman class, we have the potential to be able to learn from each other. I believe that my status as an underrepresented minority has shaped me into the person I am today. Despite moving to the United States at a young age and being a first-generation college student , I am grateful for the privilege to be able to further my education at the University of Utah.

I am an African American female. My whole life I’ve been told this and let this one fact become my identity; but this may not be the best way to approach my race, and who I am as a person. As a child, the media and the people around me acted as if my race described my likes/dislikes, my level of intelligence, or even who I am as a person. This idea society has of African Americans is wrong for a majority of reasons, and I challenged it a long time ago. I know the idea is flawed because I have displayed and/or have seen the complete opposite of these stereotypes displayed in those around me. Even though being African American is an amazing culture I am proud to be apart of, it does not have the authority to define who

Winter of 2008, Black History Month, and my third grade music teacher, announces, “Stand up if you would have been a victim of segregation,” following with, “Now, everyone look around.” February. The month of Rosa Parks, “I Had A Dream,” marches, and sit-ins. The month I had begun to despise greater each year. The month where I would be chosen to lead many readings and join classroom discussions, as if my being ‘black’ would provide some clarity that would enhance the learning experience for my fellow peers.

Not very many people have affected me in the same way as my friend Jake Fernholz. I have never realized the influence he has had on me until someone pointed out that we talk and think the same way. I only met Jake two years ago in track, when a pulled hamstring injury caused Mr. Kellerman to have me practice with the long distance kids. Mr. Kellerman forced me into staying on the long distance team and that is where I started to hit it off with Jake.

My childhood was bound with questions of why. Why can 't I stay out late? Why can 't I wear that? Why can 't I go there with my friends?

“ I know it seems hard sometimes but remember one thing. Through every dark night, theres a bright day after that, So no matter how hard it gets, stick your chest out keep your head up and handle it” Words of Tupac Shakur. I’m 19 years old and my life has been a roller coaster. Ive had some good times but mostly bad times. Im at a point in life where I want to start fresh and better my life.. What i learned the past two years in college not to stay in the past, learn who i am as a person, and becoming a man.

A horrific killer is loose across the land of England. There is nothing to fight it as it continues to rapidly create chaos in a terrible nightmare called life. The killer is a sickening disease in the air that is impossible to contain. 1) It is 1352, in Northern Europe five years since the first symptoms of this illness had been exhibited. It was dormant in my body until when I recently contracted the wildly contagious illness by attempting to take care of my brother. Our family bloodline are all peasants and we are the last of my name. I know I don’t have much time living as few recover and 2) almost all die within three days from this sickness. The first signs of the plague were lumps in the groin or armpits. After this, livid black spots appeared on the arms and thighs and other

America how could you let this happen? A man whose translation for "Make America great again" is "Make America white again" for a country that was solely built on the hardwork of immigrants and the labor of black people. (I won't even be surprised if kkk gets back in action) and can we not even get started on the laws this man has promised to pass? Yes realistically he can't fulfill them all but to have a president that thinks in such a myopic manner is the scariest sh*t ever (sorry I can't cuss in full my mother follows me on social media) I wasn't even following the campaigns at first because I thought they were basically asking you jump off a bridge or jump in front of trailer, but atleast with Hillary there was going to be peace of mind.

Growing up in a family where my mom was a doctor and my dad was a musician, I was exposed to a lots of things in my life. For example I was able to see Broadway plays and and go on family trips to Disney every year in the winter. A lot of people would say I was very fortunate to be one of the family where I knew both my parents and they did there best to give me a lot of life experiences. But me being an African-American male it seems like I not supposed to how do experiences, I was supposed to not know my father not to be able to go on these trips with my family. It came to appoint where ever African-American in my peer group what tell me I 'm less black than they are because of the experiences I have, the way I dress, and the way to talk.

Have you ever moved houses? What about cities? Or states? Moving for many people is normal and doesn 't affect them whether they move to a different neighborhood or to a city far away. Some enjoy experiencing new places and new people, basically starting a new life. Those people probably want to branch out and expand farther from their roots. Some people on the other hand would like to just stay where they grew up with friends and family. Me, I was one of those people. I never imagined my life away from the home and the people I grew up with. Moving away from my hometown was one of my biggest challenges in life.

I have had tough hope once, I had to move to a different state and start to get used to the new place. Moving was hard and took a long time to move everything to our new house. My new house was hard to get used to because it was different and I wasn 't used to it which made it hard to sleep and I had to leave my friends behind and I would have to find new friends.

The negative treatment and pain I received as a black girl, and still into my adulthood, it amazes me how I'm still standing tall and strong. It amazes me how people have tried to break me, even my own kind, but I'm still here. Truth is I gotta to have thick skin and protect myself, because I got no choice. If I don't... who will? And that is the everyday life of living as a black woman. We are the loneliest race on earth.

The world is filled with people, and like snowflakes, each person is not the same as another. Each person identifies with different aspects of their lives to create their own personal identities. I personally identify with my Italian side of my family to help form who I am today. I have found myself connecting with this side more so than the other parts of my identity. It affects how I live my life by becoming the center to the culture surrounding me. However, my ethnic identity as an Italian American also influences how I live when it comes to my religion, and how my religion affects my life alongside my ethnicity. I will expand on this issue on how I express my ethnic and religious identity in regards to each other.

It was quite Monday in spring, a normal day but for me and my team it was a big day. It was the day we started training for the important race; the race decide which track team was the best in the city.