Find your Destiny
When we are captivated by the world around us, we dream big. When asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” the question that springs on to children at a young age, We come up with a myriad of prospective responses, Astronaut, Firefighter, Politician, Singer, Dancer, Lawyer, Actor, Musician, etc. To name a few that shapes our minds into whom we want to be in the future. Thinking back on my everlasting days as a young child growing up in a predetermined world, I would have never said “Lawyer” this was nothing but a reminder that I never saw any female African American politicians. I always saw politics as a home for male white men. Since I did not see it, I did not believe it. But the wondering questions always planted into my brain. “Is there a place for me in law?”
I scoured classrooms, pages, films, and the world around me to find fellow African American women who paved the way and cast a light for all-female African Americans to believe they serve a place in law. I came up with the conclusion that there is an absolute place for me. Now at age 17, I do dream of becoming a lawyer at some point in my career.
The typical constructive adjectives you would describe a lawyer is of the following qualities: Honest, Bold, and Energetic. There is a seemingly cemented stereotype notion from an extensive history of marginalization and suppression that African American women are biased, timid, and lazy, thus, incapable of being leaders. Negative connotations like these put a dent in our minds. It could potentially lead to them overshadowed by the public. I will not accept this. I will not allow someone to dictate who I am and who I want to become or confine me to labels. We can all be Honest, Bold, and Energic no matter who we are. Being an African American woman in a white male-dominated world is not a personality trait that is screaming “I’m different” Being a Black POC is my identity.
We must lift each other and encourage other women of color and general people of color interested in politics. Our cultural differences are what bring us together. It will ensure our seats are at the table. We will march together, hand in hand, to change our society to become more inclusive for us and the future before us.
