When I think of being “proud to be me,” I think of the experience of living between worlds. It’s impossible to fully embrace the concept of identity without bringing together elements of the past, present and future. 

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I think of my father being born in 1900, and I can only imagine the world he grew up in. I reflect on family members who made the difficult choice to suppress their identity in order to provide for their families.  

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I also consider my own upbringing, with access to certain opportunities while experiencing painful exclusion in other spaces because of my mixed heritage. Despite the challenges I faced out in the world, I grew to embody the legacy of strength and survival into which I was born. The message of “let people think whatever they want about what you are,” subtly silenced a part of my identity. Although I experienced the comfort of being around others who looked like me, there was still an unspoken desire within me to proudly proclaim my Blackness to the world.

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And now I think of the current and future generations, being raised at the most critical of crossroads between the influence of home, while experiencing information overload with conflicting messages on where they come from, who they are, and who they can be.  I want to remind kids that, regardless of their heritage, upbringing, or social position, who they are is magnificent.  They have so many reasons to be PROUD!!