Gracie Berriberry
October 23, 2012
I live in this brown flesh, this is my life. I’m not afraid, never have, never will be. Like when I stood on the conference table of my high school principle’s office at age 16, demanding that he stopped his conference to address an act of racism that occurred toward me. As one of the only blacks in my high school I had experienced much being the only one, and had begun to make a name for myself, a name of revolutionary proportion. I was targeted and called a nigger. I shouted, “He called me a nigger, what are you going to do about this?” I asked the other staff in defense of myself if they had been called crackers, how would they like it, what would they do? My principle addressed the issue immediately! And don’t get me wrong him addressing it was half the battle, but the point is is that I refused to be silenced, no matter what my foster parents advised or otherwise. I once beat a girl to a bloody mess for calling me a nigger while chanting I was better an ornament hung from her daddies tree. I was considered “a revolutionary” black youth standing in the face of racism, and remain that same black woman today. I come from a long line of fighters! I always have, and always will stare these clucker’s in the face, and fight until the death of me!