What happens when you stop playing into the stereotypes of your race/ethnicity?

Stereotypes exist for a reason; every culture has its own set of them. The ones on me make me afraid to purchase watermelon in the grocery store or order fried chicken from a restaurant. I grew up on a farm and experienced the sweetest watermelons possible. As an adult, I genuinely dislike store-bought watermelon. When I started college, another black girl told me, “You’re not black.” I’ve often been told this, especially since I am lighter skinned, educated, and I walk with my head held high. When I started wearing my natural hair, family and friends told me I would never get a job, that natural hair wasn’t for me because I have bad hair. I don’t recall my hair doing anything to anyone.

Classic White is a short story about a young girl, Ida, who lives in a seemingly utopian community of black people all of a similar skin tone who believe in the same things and do the same things. When Ida is born, she is darker than everyone around her, and her hair is so coarse it feels like it’s cutting into the skin. She also asks a lot of questions. She lives in paradise, why question it?

I first thought of this story while in middle school. While Ida is too black, I was not black enough. Growing up, I saw how dangerous it was to be in the former category. Young black girls who are seen as “too black” are often viewed as being troublesome, more grown than others, and not deserving of the same grace and affection someone would give a less imposing girl. This is explained in detail in the book Pushout by Monique Couvson. Reading that book helped the story blossom in my mind. 

As an educator, I make a conscious effort to protect black children, especially the girls and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. As the only black female teacher at my school, and honestly anywhere I go in the world, I make myself a safe space for marginalized people. I implore you to do the same. 

Lastly, I wrote Classic White as a call to action. I hope that people will read it and consider how their comments can potentially alienate young girls. Ida is only 14 years old, but she is treated like a woman when she needs someone to care for her. She ends up in exile because she is “too black” to be a part of her community. We all know colonialism and the media have asserted that the further you get from whiteness, the worse off you are. But that is a conversation for another day. 

You can purchase the book with the story here, or send me a message, and I can give you the PDF for free.