God, that Thandie Newton article is so harrowing, I'm tearing up over it. It's so fucked to read how colorism reigned across every single occupation and how it affects the person just wanting to pursue a career and be themselves.

It took me back to when I used to get bullied in middle school and the other Black boys told me how I was never "Black enough" cause I never said the n-word, was listening to more Katy than Kanye, and didn't really project any type of masculinity.

Then when I went to high school in a White neighborhood, I was bullied for being Black. I was called the n-word, coco puff, and Oreo because I never fit into their stereotypical Black box. I was always never "Black enough" in anyone's eyes and that fucked with me for the longest.

It made me easily dismissed by many which led to many depressive episodes. One time I came home crying, saying "I wish I wasn't Black." It was that bad. I can only imagine the many Black creatives in various fields who went through the same feelings in their lives.

While there is an odd sense of comfort knowing that my experience doesn't stray far from many it's still angering to see the entire fabric of systematic colorism and racism still thriving. It needs to be dismantled so future Black kids following their own drum beat can prosper.