#Ik some of this stuff might be chalked up to “skill issue” but I can’t not talk about it

[critterwithtoast]

Warning, this post talks about racism and is also rather long

Honestly I always was aware of the fact that I was going to be treated as different from other kids my age, but I don’t think I’ve ever truly thought everything out.

My friend, she wears a hijab when she goes outside. When she’s in public spaces like shopping malls and such, strangers give her dirty looks. You know how old she was when she told me that? She was twelve fucking years old. She was twelve and desensitised to this, to the point where she said it with a smile on her face, not an ounce of hatred or anger in her voice.

My little sister, she has gorgeous, black curly hair. Other than that, she is just the same as her friends. She loves to draw, and she loves to play, and watch cartoons. But she is convinced that her stunning, curly, natural hair is not beautiful unless she goes at it with a flat iron. She hates the noise and feeling or hair straightening tools, but if she goes to a salon, and leaves without straight hair, she’s going to cry, and she still believes in the tooth fairy. She’s that young. And when I was that young, I held that very same belief, that I was ugly because of the texture of my hair.

I should be able to go to my high school, without expecting to be called a slur. This expectation simply being common sense. I shouldn’t be able to laugh along, and go “haha yeah I did 9/11! That’s so funny!” I shouldn’t have been raised knowing that I would have less opportunity, less love, less of everything than someone exactly the same as I am, except with pale skin.

I realise that in responding to things people say, that they shouldn’t say, that I am enabling that sort of behaviour. So I can stop doing that, I can make posts on the internet, but other than that, I don’t really have any power. I eventually reported the kid who called me “Osama Bin Laden” to my head of year. Nothing came of it. “Telling a trusted adult” means nothing.

(Also something is going on with the tags, so idk just ignore the repetition its not letting me delete)