(SOUTH SEATTLE EMERALD) –
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BLACK?
It means that people hate you for your skin, your Afro hair, your style, for the way you walk, for the way you talk, for the way you live. You are hated for no reason at all. Being Black means seeing those you love gone at the hands of a police officer. Being Black means starting to fight for your justice when you’re only a kid. But being Black also comes with the amazing stuff like strength and beauty and our food. It comes with also learning that our skin color is our armor that protects us, so even if the world hates, we love back. Being Black means when the world pushes you down, you get right back up. It means fighting and never giving up. Being Black means having this amazing power that helps you push through everything the world puts you through. Being Black means seeing the worst but hoping for the best. But most of all, being Black means keeping your head up no matter what and NEVER EVER GIVING UP!!
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MUSLIM/HIJABI?
There is so much that comes with this, I don’t know where to begin. To be a Muslim comes with lots of commitment. Being Muslim means praying, fasting, obeying all the rules that come with the belief. But most all of being Muslim comes with pride of loving your deen (Muslim word for “faith”). People don’t understand that being Muslim doesn’t mean we (especially as women of faith) are being forced. The Islamic faith or being Muslim can’t be forced. Being Muslim is something you take on to yourself. Being Muslim is something you choose. The faith doesn’t work unless you want it.
Wearing the hijab is a way to show your faith, just like every religion has its own thing. To me, the hijab shows who I am. I style my hijab in a way that shows how I’m feeling. The hijab was never forced on me. The hijab has always been something I’ve loved. The hijab is more than just a cloth to cover my hair. The hijab shows my feelings, and most of all shows my faith. So to any of those girls out there that maybe hate their hijab or don’t feel like their hijab is something they like, remember your hijab is beautiful and amazing in its own way.
