Brown Girl Blues
Trials come with golden skin
During my junior year of college, these words came to me. I was tired of feeling alone and in the dumps about things I couldn't change, but learned to appreciate. Despite the detrimental factors that come with being a person of color, I'm always reminded how powerful it is to be black. Melanin is a beautiful thing. I want everyone to remember that it's important to love yourself and where you come from! The hardness of the world should never allow you to stop being soft and kind with yourself. I left my campus on a three hour ride to the city for a weekend and before taking the bus back home, I stopped in a bar that had an open mic night going on, so I put my name on the list to perform this. Dedicated to every black girl who might feel blue at times, you are not alone.
These are my brown girl blues.
Sometimes I want my hair to stay down
Though, not as down as my self esteem
I mean--
I want my curls to be a little more loose
And, I want this body to do more than just seduce
And, to be comfortable in my skin without excuses.
These are my brown girl blues.
I walk around with no expression.
It's often misinterpreted for aggression
But, in the valleys of this soul lie the best intentions
Yet they can't see that, so...
I scream without making sounds
I fight while standing still
I cry without shedding a tear, because...
It's my silence they love the most.
Truthfully though, how can you silence magic? Trick.
These are my brown girl blues.
Although I see folk who vary from light to dark brown hues
Sisters who look up to figures like Ellington and Hughes
And brothers who wave a fist in the air to express their pro-black views
It feels as though we are not together.
I thought that in great numbers, we'd create a solid movement
But years later I see no improvement
They taking our mothers, fathers, aunties, and uncles for their own sick amusement
And still, “I only like light skin girls.”
Or, “Imma find me a white boy.”
Beloved, there is a war bigger than us, can’t you see that we should love each other?
These Are My Brown Girl Blues
I just want this world to understand me.
And soon enough they will see
That this brown girl is an ambrosial creation
And none of their models dressed in black face can even come close to a duplication
Hold on, I should know that my being is appreciated.
We are appreciated.
Sandra, appreciated.
Alberta, appreciated.
Charleena, appreciated.
Korryn, appreciated.
Breonna, appreciated.
Say their names.
I don't think y'all are hearing me.
Harriet, appreciated.
Sojourner, appreciated.
Rosa, appreciated.
Coretta, appreciated.
Michelle, appreciated.
Brothers need to feel the appreciation too
Because if I'm gonna love someone like my life depends on it,
I promise it’s gonna be you.
Mike, appreciated.
Tamir, appreciated.
Alton, appreciated.
Ahmaud, appreciated.
Trayvon, appreciated.
Amadou, appreciated.
Philando, appreciated.
Eric, appreciated.
George, appreciated.
Rayshard, appreciated.
I am the embodiment of generations which contain vital spirits
So either get lost, or get with it
And maybe next time I will not have to speak about my brown girl blues
Only my brown girl enlightenment
Brown girl positivity in a messed up environment
Brown girl wisdom
Brown girl hope for change in a terribly corrupt system
These are my brown girl blues.
About the Creator
Tiffany Linton
Writer, Actress, Educator, CEO, Singer, if you want more then follow me on Instagram: tiffanymulan
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