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Stereotypically Speaking!!

Performance Poetry...

By Tiffany Gordon Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 1 min read
31
Stereotypically Speaking!!
Photo by Melany Rochester on Unsplash

When

I

was

a

teenager

an

Asian-American

classmate

once

remarked:

"You

don't

act

like

a

Black

person.

They're

usually

loud

&

always

cracking

jokes."

My response to this stereotype was silence.

What I wanted to say was: "I hate to break it to you but Black people come in all varieties and demeanors!"😱

"According to your narrow & biased mindset... I am supposed to… become Mrs. Bojangles… every time I see you… with a well-worn… Court Jester hat on my head… and a pocket full of jokes… at the ready… for the masses…?" 🤗

"Remember classmate…

I am NOT…

nor is my race…

solely here to entertain yours…

or anyone else's…!" 👍🏾

"ALL races are here…

on God's green earth…🌏

to nurture one another…" 🤝🏾🤝🏽🤝🏻🤝

"Please remember that… the next time that… YOU… decide to spew this… foolishness into… the atmosphere…!" ✊🏾

########:::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Epilogue: Sometimes silence is golden. I'm glad that I responded the way that I did because there is a 98% chance that my classmate meant no harm. But, I do believe that stereotypes CAN negatively infect a young person's mindset and they're downright silly. What if, as a young person, I had embraced the stereotype and steered away from writing because Black people are supposed to partake in more "LOUD" professions? I just may have missed my calling. A wise person once said: "Life and death are in the power of the tongue!" I agree. Therefore, we must be mindful of the way that we use our words, Beautiful people.

########::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Peace!

performance poetry
31

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 (7)

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  • Jazzy 8 months ago

    I couldn't agree more with you.

  • Novel Allen11 months ago

    A timeless and relevant piece no matter when you read it. I find so much wisdom within the stories that you write. Another young/old soul on a second life journey to this world. Vocal you are for sure.

  • Lamar Wigginsabout a year ago

    Wow! I never saw this one until today. Very well said...All of it. And Thank you.

  • Heather Hublerabout a year ago

    I appreciate the truth and love you show in your works. Thank you for sharing your story :)

  • Babs Iverson2 years ago

    Re-read! Previously hearted!!!

  • Mariann Carroll2 years ago

    ❤️people want to put you in a category. God made us all different. People think we should act a certain way .Excellent poem

  • I have read this poem several times now. An important message!

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