Being biracial I was always confused on where I fit in and who would “accept” me. It was always such a big deal to me, well I always made it a big deal. The fact that anywhere I went I was never something enough. But this year I took a different look at the world. My grandfather changed that.
“My grandfather is German, Irish and English. He is covered in freckles, and has red hair. He told me about his childhood and about the hard times he had dealing with kids making fun of his skin and hair. My grandfather also had dyslexia. Kids and teachers would call him stupid and told him he’d never be successful in life. My grandfather, Willard C. White, graduated from Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy, was an engineer for several companies, was the C.E.O of American Cyanimid, and developed a patent for UV lenses and a respirator. A man who was told would never graduate high school, became a successful businessman. Hearing this story I knew what I had been through wasn’t half as oppressive as what he had endured.”
Although I cannot say I am completely comfortable in my own skin, and do not always feel a sense of belonging, I see now that feelings and those experiences have inspired me to do many great things in life. And like my grandfather, I want to be able to say that I’ve been at the very lowest point in my life, but I’ve taken those feelings and made it into motivation.
I’ve realized that your background doesn’t define you. So what I think I am is a girl who maybe isn’t as confident as she should be or as sure of herself. A girl who wanted to be Pocahontas when she was little. A girl who loves to play Madden. A girl who loves hip hop and R&B like Jay-Z:)
