by Kamaal Majeed
All Things Considered, May 7, 2007 ·
"Why don't you 'act black'?"
Since my middle school years, I've been asked this question more than any other. It seems to me that too many people have let society program into their brains what should be expected of me, a black person, before ever interacting with me. But I believe in being who I am, not who others want me to be.
On my first day of high school, going into math class, two of my classmates pointed and laughed at me. I initially thought my fly was open, or that something was stuck in my teeth. But as I took my seat, I heard one of the students whisper, "Why is a black person taking honors?" So my fly wasn't open. An honors-level class had simply been joined by a student whose skin was an unsettling shade of brown. ... more>>
1 comment:
Dear Michael,
I'm quite flattered to see that you've dedicated an entire blog to my This I Believe essay! I never thought that the essay would affect people's lives so profoundly, especially those of complete strangers to me. Thank you very much for your support.
- Kamaal Majeed
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