Please don't Label Me
Quenette, 15

Stereotype, A word that we are all familiar with
Yet many don't understand.
As I chit-chatted with a friend of mine
About the nice breeze and sunshine
An associate of mine came up and said
Some words that I may never forget.
Black people always gossipin' is what she said to me.
Not only was it a stereotype, but it is a stereotype
That she clearly needs to stop believing.
As far as I'm concerned my friend and I weren't gossipin'
We were admiring the blue skies.
I felt as if I were standing in a room in which
The walls were closing in.
In mere words I felt trapped, harassed, put-down.
I felt as if I were an alien of some sort.
All I could do was look around.
I stood there contemplating.
Should I agree? Should I leave?
What is it that I should do?
That's when it hit me.
I may be black but gossip I do not.

“The Way I Feel About Myself”
Essence, 14

At school, people say I need to stop stressing over things people say about me, because I'm the type of person who cares about what people say to me so ya'.

One day, this girl took it a little too far and made me very mad. She said to me, “u lil n**** u, don't even look like a n****, u look like a start up……….” I'm not going to tell you what she said, but ya, that made me very, very mad. Then we almost started to fight, but we didn't so ya, but I told her just because she don't like something ‘bout me don't mean I have to change. Then she got very mad and called me a “white n*****” and then I went off on her (lol). But ya, I learned a lot ‘bout myself. I learned I need to control what I do and what I say cuz …

Jovanna 15

I was called “stupid” by my mom and sometimes by my friends. Well, the reason why my mom called me stupid is because when I was in elementary school, I was really smart and was always on the honor roll at school. As soon as I got to Tenaya Middle School, I became dumb for some reason, but I guess I think I became lazy and stopped doing my work. The reason why my friends call me that is because sometimes I'll do something stupid, but then we will all laugh about it. Like for example when I get really hyper or something, I start acting crazy and then I'll probably do something stupid and they would laugh at it. They would tell me, “Jovanna, you are stupid but not in a bad way”. My mom sometimes doesn't mean it in a mean way either. For example, I'll be at home in my mom's room dancing, and I won't be doing it right, or I'm just playing around, or I'm showing her how somebody else does the dance. We both would start laughing and she'll say “you're stupid”. I'm still smart at reading out loud, but I'm not good at math.

Masks
Jaleesa, 17

Not everyone is how they are perceived to be. We have many masks – masks that we use in fear of people seeing the real us. But why do we hide ourselves? Aren't we supposed to be open and honest with everyone and ourselves? The truth can be a scary and painful thing, so it's only natural to hide from it. There is a mask I have. People think I am angry all the time, ranting and raving about how I feel. What they don't realize is that I am hurt, sad, and depressed. I just need a way to get it out.

Yeah, everyone feels that way sometimes, so what makes me so special? What makes me so special is I feel that way all the time. I can't get away from myself. Though I am unique and talented, I still feel that way. This is the mask I wear for myself and no one else. I feel bad at the fact that my parents don't understand me. I would be more than happy to have a healthy relationship with them, but they act as if they don't want to know me. Maybe they're afraid of the person I have become, and want me to go back to the quiet, unresponsive way I used to be. I guess they don't like the mask I've made for them.

There are plenty of secrets that I have; things people would never guess about me. Over time, I have learned different ways to hide myself away, disconnecting myself from the real world. Those secrets keep me going, because if anyone ever knew them, my life would stop in its tracks. I believe anyone else would feel the same, holding something dear then losing it in a matter of minutes.

Keya,
Age ?

I have been called “stuck up”, and I don't think that is true about me because I am a caring person. I don't pick my friends based on their looks. I pick them because they are so different. I think that is what makes me unique. I also know people don't sometimes mean what they say. They just do that to make themselves feel better about themselves. I can't see exactly why people would be so cruel to one another, but I do see why the world is so cruel because of people like that, because people can't exactly find themselves, they would rather be incredibly mean to someone else.

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