Shame on me.
This system is not designed to grow me. It is not designed
to provide me with anything.
Shame on me for thinking I was accepted or that it was okay
for me to be comfortable here.
Shame on me for believing that things were better.
Now I know better so I must do better.
Shame on me for thinking that people saw me only as Terri or
Author Terri D.
Now I know better. I
know that I am and will always be that black girl Terri.
Never have I felt so black but also so very aware of my lack
of knowledge of the hatred that I have been swimming in. Oblivious among those screaming stay woke but I was sleep walking.
Shame on me for not seeing beyond the surface smiles.
Shame on me for not digging deeper into my roots and my
history to understand where I came from to fully appreciate where I am today
but that there is still so far to go.
Shame on me for not realizing that the fight for equality
would include me. It was not something of the past, it is present today and
unfortunately will probably last for many more tomorrows.
Shame on me for not paying attention to what lurked just beyond
the surface.
The past month we have all seen things that maybe we never saw or paid attention to before.
I was taught to do better once you know better
Now we see it, so now we know.
So now what?
