Heyi! I’ve been stripped of my dignity trying to prove my “blackness” to people who were never going to give me a chance so excuse me if I get triggered by someone saying because of where I grew up I only learned of my blackness as an adult.

It was in that very culdesac where I first heard the k-word. Where I was first made aware of that exact blackness you’re trying to deny us. What do you think it’s like to be 1 of 13 black people in an entire school with South African white people??

We’ve been fighting from within our whole lives. Please don’t tell me you think because we live here, that means they don’t see and remind us of our blackness at every turn.

Whether it’s going to the social and being match made with the only other black boy there by force even though you don’t like him. Or having your hair touched and then wiping their hands saying “ew” because it’s “greasy”.

Or their parents asking if yours work in govt coz they don’t know how else you’d be at that school. School was terrible BECAUSE of our blackness. And then going to visit family and being stripped all over again because we aren’t black enough. No it’s violent.