Sequoia,

Thank you so much for sharing this with us all. I personally can relate in various ways and I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your vulnerability. It’s a shame that so many young black people feel inferior and especially in the workforce. This country prides itself so much on being progressive and moving beyond our brutal history of slavery however it still exists. Your experience proves it and this is why. Internalized oppressions, stereotypes and racism lives within many of us. We are produces of this country and with that comes a certain mindset of inferiority because that’s what history has taught us, that was labeled as our purpose in this country.

However, you are a prime example of resistance. Not resistance in the narrative of a heroine because often times people tend to lead towards that narrative as a means to romanticize women’s lived experiences which takes so much away from the importance of our personal herstories(HIStory vs. HERstory). But a resistance narrative fueled by rage! Please correct me if I am wrong or if you do not agree with anything that I’m saying. But I feel it’s important to acknowledge the experiences you write of as violent. The white students that feel entitled to talk to you however they please unapologetically is violent. Privilege is extremely violent as it creates and manifests these feelings of inferiority within non-white people. This is the only way this selfish country continues to exist as it does because it silences the oppression of marginalized groups of people in order to maintain social order. I would call these experiences “Unspeakable violence” as no one every expected you to speak of it, no one ever expected you to question these memories that you’ve held with you for so long. I say Unspeakable because for far too long has this country prevailed through silencing non-whites.

It is important to tell your herstory because if you don’t no one else will. Stay golden Sequoia. xoxo. Thank you again for sharing this.