In the following poem I address what my everyday struggles are like as PBA’s sole black female student. I felt this format was the best suited to convey my experiences with the proper amount of emotional depth. 

Wake up

Wash my face brush my teeth

Take off my bonnet unravel my bantu knots

Brush out my big beautiful afro

Get in the car get to school early walk to seven eleven

Hood down hands up

Walk back turn right

Wonder if the lady in her car is staring because I’m black or just because

Get back to school smile

Thank the nice ones who tell me my hair is pretty

Sigh at the ones who ask me how I had long hair yesterday and short hair today

Go to class sit down

Educate my classmates as much as my teacher does

Wonder if they choose to be offensive or if ignorance is just a sickness they cannot beat

Go to lunch wait for the microwave try to detox

Answer questions about racial issues as my food gets cold

Go to another class watch a video

Remember that not everyone can see the small offenses it holds

Remember that my peers are either blind or removed from the oppression of my people

Finish school get on the bus get called the n word

Watch as people would rather stand on an unstable platform than sit next to me

Look for another black face

Look for solidarity

Get off the bus cross the street into my all white suburbs

Return their wary smiles with a fake one

Find solace in my house of all black women

See whose daytime community proved to be the most racist

Subtle or not

Eat dinner take a shower