Afro-Diasporic Continental Sentiments

The Black African Diaspora has always been important to me as a black person in America.

As a 2nd Generation Jamaican-American Black person I always knew I had family relatives across both the US and Jamaica.

Across the ocean is the populace of my cousins and aunts and uncles.

The shared histories of black people forces us to be aware of that fact.

Because no one comes straight out of nowhere you know.

I’ve always known that my family lineage didn’t pop out of the ether.

Because where would my look have come from?

My dark brown eyes with my onyx black curly and kinky hair along with my brown skin,

My nose and ears, the shape of my eyes, my hands and feet, and my birth mark,

The black dot on the lower corner at the front of my bottom left cheek,

I was born with these features, and they didn’t form for no reason.

No, I was given these because of my genetics, because of how human DNA works.

These features are things to be proud of and to live proudly in.

They are not gross traits to be disgusted by or ashamed of, unlike what some would think.

Most people would look at my features and think me unattractive or dirty.

Across the world’s history, darker skin and bigger bodies have been stigmatized.

Even with the most glamorous makeup and clothing, darker skin is seen as lowly and unclean.

No matter which body of land I travel to, lighter looks are the standard worldwide.

The Eurocentric standards may present a huge hurdle of challenges for me and my cousins,

But across the ocean, we are all worthy in our skin and our bodies.

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