Full Circle Moment 📖
Performance Poetry
As a grammar school kid...
in the 80s…
I grew up…
not seeing…
anyone…
on the cover...
of magazines…
& within the pages of...
children's books📚…
that looked like me…
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
Therefore...
at the age of 8…
when a staff member…
at my elementary school…
asked me…
if I wanted…
to make the characters…
in the books📚 that I wrote...
African-American like me…
I quickly declined…
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
Looking back…
I now realize…
that I had...
subconsciously...
internalized…
the notion…
that the media…
constantly...
portrayed…
to me...
[maybe even
unintentionally]
that my...
life choices…
were…
limited…
because...
of my color…
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
The message was loud and clear to my preteen mind: **Blacks didn't belong in children's books & media because I never saw them.
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
Today…
As an African-American...
Young Adult author…
I have come…
full circle…
because...
I have...
(through
the blessing of
the Vocal platform)
been afforded...
a second chance...
to write...
fiction stories...
for other people's...
enjoyment...
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
Although...
this time around…
I will take my cues…
from my Creator...
instead of the...
diversity-deprived...
mass media…
Also...
this time around...
I will add...
my Blackness...
& the...
unique experiences...
of my racial group...
to the literary Stew...
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
Perhaps
<at most>
seeing...
a young Black woman…
in the role of Author…
will inspire…
children...
that see...
themselves...
within me...
and within
characters..
that look...
like me....
to follow…
their heart...
& put on...
their own...
Chef's hat...
and...
become...
an author...
too one day...
if they...
so choose… 😉
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
And Perhaps
<at best>
my presence in...
The literary kitchen...
will prevent...
another black child…
from ever...
getting burned again…
by the notion...
that they…
don't belong...
within the pages...
of a book… 📖
*Safety First
*Protect Children's Minds!
About the Creator
Tiffany Gordon
I am a super-spiritual, fun-loving artist, writer, & peer-counselor residing in the Pacific Northwest. I am also an Institute of Children's Literature alumna who enjoys writing about the triumph of the human spirit.
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Comments (6)
I love that you've come full circle and can share this with everyone. You are such an inspiration, well done :)
Yes!!! I can't love this more than once but I do. I value what you have written and can't imagine what that would have been like for you. Keep writing! Keep filling the world with the message that our differences and diversity is what makes us wonderfully unique.
You know, this is why people have a hard time accepting a Black Little Mermaid, because of media portrayal. As if everything in this world is only for light-skinned people. I'm so glad you wrote this!
Love the sparse format of this, great words
I love this so very much. Absolutely wonder. So simple yet very deep and meaningful.
Loved the performance poem. Re-read.💕💕 Previously 💖