hello everyone how many of you have a sibling well a lot of you I also have
sibling well a lot of you I also have
sibling well a lot of you I also have siblings I have three younger siblings
siblings I have three younger siblings
siblings I have three younger siblings but their own strengths and weaknesses
but their own strengths and weaknesses
but their own strengths and weaknesses the sister that I’m going to be talking
the sister that I’m going to be talking
the sister that I’m going to be talking about today is Amy Jolla in Missoula is
about today is Amy Jolla in Missoula is
about today is Amy Jolla in Missoula is thoroughly impressed by mathematics and
thoroughly impressed by mathematics and
thoroughly impressed by mathematics and science and one day as we were preparing
science and one day as we were preparing
science and one day as we were preparing to go to bed she asked me a question she
to go to bed she asked me a question she
to go to bed she asked me a question she asks me mediate why am i black taken
asks me mediate why am i black taken
asks me mediate why am i black taken aback by her question that I knew how to
aback by her question that I knew how to
aback by her question that I knew how to answer scientifically I just didn’t know
answer scientifically I just didn’t know
answer scientifically I just didn’t know how to answer a 4 going on 5 year old
how to answer a 4 going on 5 year old
how to answer a 4 going on 5 year old about the science of melanin and
about the science of melanin and
about the science of melanin and pigmentation so instead I decided to
pigmentation so instead I decided to
pigmentation so instead I decided to take it upon myself to ask her question
take it upon myself to ask her question
take it upon myself to ask her question why am i black to myself in the art of
why am i black to myself in the art of
why am i black to myself in the art of poetry so in the art of poetry which is
poetry so in the art of poetry which is
poetry so in the art of poetry which is the only way I knew how to vividly
the only way I knew how to vividly
the only way I knew how to vividly ponder upon my surroundings I was able
ponder upon my surroundings I was able
ponder upon my surroundings I was able to really gain insight on myself in a
to really gain insight on myself in a
to really gain insight on myself in a world full of or in society in which TVs
world full of or in society in which TVs
world full of or in society in which TVs and magazines do not predominantly show
and magazines do not predominantly show
and magazines do not predominantly show people of color
people of color
people of color finding the right makeup that will fit
finding the right makeup that will fit
finding the right makeup that will fit our skin tone is difficult and
our skin tone is difficult and
our skin tone is difficult and ultimately my realization of race not
ultimately my realization of race not
ultimately my realization of race not defining Who I am nor who I will become
defining Who I am nor who I will become
defining Who I am nor who I will become so the following poem is called black is
so the following poem is called black is
so the following poem is called black is beautiful African black girl charcoal I
beautiful African black girl charcoal I
beautiful African black girl charcoal I never understood why it felt like a
never understood why it felt like a
never understood why it felt like a crime as if I needed to be arrested a
crime as if I needed to be arrested a
crime as if I needed to be arrested a sin to be me a sin a crime to you I was
sin to be me a sin a crime to you I was
sin to be me a sin a crime to you I was born with and have no way of changing
born with and have no way of changing
born with and have no way of changing believe me I’ve tried I’ve tried to hide
believe me I’ve tried I’ve tried to hide
believe me I’ve tried I’ve tried to hide myself in the heavy tape of color from
myself in the heavy tape of color from
myself in the heavy tape of color from my peers I’ve tried to describe the skin
my peers I’ve tried to describe the skin
my peers I’ve tried to describe the skin that was the color of dirt mud off like
that was the color of dirt mud off like
that was the color of dirt mud off like would actually go down down in a way and
would actually go down down in a way and
would actually go down down in a way and the black pit holes on my shower it
the black pit holes on my shower it
the black pit holes on my shower it never did I prayed to God asking why he
never did I prayed to God asking why he
never did I prayed to God asking why he made me black him to change me for when
made me black him to change me for when
made me black him to change me for when I wake up to become a white girl with
I wake up to become a white girl with
I wake up to become a white girl with Sookie just not here in a pool of
Sookie just not here in a pool of
Sookie just not here in a pool of piercing sharp eyes I used to cry
piercing sharp eyes I used to cry
piercing sharp eyes I used to cry because my thighs were too big
because my thighs were too big
because my thighs were too big my hips I never fit in the waist were
my hips I never fit in the waist were
my hips I never fit in the waist were too big I brought lips and hips they
too big I brought lips and hips they
too big I brought lips and hips they were all too big but it came to my
were all too big but it came to my
were all too big but it came to my attention the life will give you the
attention the life will give you the
attention the life will give you the opportunity to critically analyze the
opportunity to critically analyze the
opportunity to critically analyze the physiology of your Anatomy
physiology of your Anatomy
physiology of your Anatomy although the events that slithered and
although the events that slithered and
although the events that slithered and crept up into your path you will be so
crept up into your path you will be so
crept up into your path you will be so mentally free of your past you will
mentally free of your past you will
mentally free of your past you will succeed you will achieve if you believe
succeed you will achieve if you believe
succeed you will achieve if you believe that you were greater than that your
that you were greater than that your
that you were greater than that your skin will embrace the nerves and network
skin will embrace the nerves and network
skin will embrace the nerves and network to your heart thanking you for the
to your heart thanking you for the
to your heart thanking you for the person you’ve now become it is what you
person you’ve now become it is what you
person you’ve now become it is what you make it so you need to embrace it so I
make it so you need to embrace it so I
make it so you need to embrace it so I will embrace this my black is beauty day
will embrace this my black is beauty day
will embrace this my black is beauty day yes I might like a strength courage my
yes I might like a strength courage my
yes I might like a strength courage my black is tell me something I can not do
black is tell me something I can not do
black is tell me something I can not do I am humble I’d like this determination
I am humble I’d like this determination
I am humble I’d like this determination my back is the superpower over you the
my back is the superpower over you the
my back is the superpower over you the people you associate with show me your
people you associate with show me your
people you associate with show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are my
friends and I’ll tell you who you are my
friends and I’ll tell you who you are my blog has sent me in an AP class and I’ll
blog has sent me in an AP class and I’ll
blog has sent me in an AP class and I’ll strike you with my mind that you thought
strike you with my mind that you thought
strike you with my mind that you thought couldn’t match you well cos attitude
couldn’t match you well cos attitude
couldn’t match you well cos attitude that gets mistaken as belligerent but my
that gets mistaken as belligerent but my
that gets mistaken as belligerent but my black is loving caring religious with
black is loving caring religious with
black is loving caring religious with priorities my lack less a silent voice
priorities my lack less a silent voice
priorities my lack less a silent voice sometimes label without even a second
sometimes label without even a second
sometimes label without even a second glance but my black is never something
glance but my black is never something
glance but my black is never something down from an obstacle until heated
down from an obstacle until heated
down from an obstacle until heated something out of it my black is here’s
something out of it my black is here’s
something out of it my black is here’s my mind as my greatest weapon because my
my mind as my greatest weapon because my
my mind as my greatest weapon because my Black has seven letters and several
Black has seven letters and several
Black has seven letters and several meanings and it is powerful beyond your
meanings and it is powerful beyond your
meanings and it is powerful beyond your measure my name is Ola midday also known
measure my name is Ola midday also known
measure my name is Ola midday also known to me as African Queen Black Beauty
to me as African Queen Black Beauty
to me as African Queen Black Beauty charcoal and red hearted so although my
charcoal and red hearted so although my
charcoal and red hearted so although my sister may not be able to understand the
sister may not be able to understand the
sister may not be able to understand the depth and intensity between or
depth and intensity between or
depth and intensity between or underneath my poem I know that in the
underneath my poem I know that in the
underneath my poem I know that in the future she will be able to look up unto
future she will be able to look up unto
future she will be able to look up unto me someone that’s overcome her
me someone that’s overcome her
me someone that’s overcome her tribulations against her exterior when I
tribulations against her exterior when I
tribulations against her exterior when I first wrote this poem I was incredibly
first wrote this poem I was incredibly
first wrote this poem I was incredibly upset with God for making me black but
upset with God for making me black but
upset with God for making me black but today today I stand humbly and proudly
today today I stand humbly and proudly
today today I stand humbly and proudly in front of you immensely happy to be in
in front of you immensely happy to be in
in front of you immensely happy to be in my skin immensely happy to know that I
my skin immensely happy to know that I
my skin immensely happy to know that I have the power to make a difference in
have the power to make a difference in
have the power to make a difference in other people’s lives and as an 18 year
other people’s lives and as an 18 year
other people’s lives and as an 18 year old girl with an eagerness to
old girl with an eagerness to
old girl with an eagerness to successfully make the world a better
successfully make the world a better
successfully make the world a better place to live in
place to live in
place to live in I know that my sisters will have the
I know that my sisters will have the
I know that my sisters will have the opportunity in the zeitgeist in this
opportunity in the zeitgeist in this
opportunity in the zeitgeist in this generation to come to live happier had
generation to come to live happier had
generation to come to live happier had my parents had God not chosen me to
my parents had God not chosen me to
my parents had God not chosen me to become black to be a black girl I would
become black to be a black girl I would
become black to be a black girl I would have never been able to be embedded in a
have never been able to be embedded in a
have never been able to be embedded in a culture rich in music dance art and most
culture rich in music dance art and most
culture rich in music dance art and most of all food had my exterior color
of all food had my exterior color
of all food had my exterior color actually hindered me from being
actually hindered me from being
actually hindered me from being successful then I would have never been
successful then I would have never been
successful then I would have never been accepted to the University of Florida
accepted to the University of Florida
accepted to the University of Florida where I will be studying biomedical
where I will be studying biomedical
where I will be studying biomedical engineering a major that will allow you
engineering a major that will allow you
engineering a major that will allow you to jumpstart my career in improving the
to jumpstart my career in improving the
to jumpstart my career in improving the quality of life for others for
quality of life for others for
quality of life for others for generations for zeitgeist to come so the
generations for zeitgeist to come so the
generations for zeitgeist to come so the next time my sister asks me why am i
next time my sister asks me why am i
next time my sister asks me why am i black I will proudly tell her why would
black I will proudly tell her why would
black I will proudly tell her why would you want to be anything else thank you
you want to be anything else thank you
you want to be anything else thank you [Applause]
”
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