Our first ever online post comes from high school senior, Taliya, who used parts of this poem in her college essays:
Dear young black girl
Let me undress you
Let me know you better than you do
Don’t let the other people shut you down
Why don’t you show off your smile?
You’re so closed off
Show off your battle scars
Show off who you are
Let me take you as you are.
Crooked smile, kinky hair, tiny ankles,
big stomach, wide back, chunky thighs
Stretch marks from head to toe.
Let me unravel the real you.
What happens to a black girl that can’t see her magic?
How can you be shameful of the skin that you’re in, a beautiful, smart,
caring, creative
Black girl like you should understand that true beauty it rare
But somehow you found it without even trying.
Look in the mirror
Ignore what they all say.
You’re bigger
You’re louder
You’re weirder
But that makes you, you.
Instead of being so focused on hiding
yourself because it’s safer
Give yourself a chance to grow more
Open up more
Be the true you.
