September 15, 2017

Dear diary,

Life’s not fair. Because I am a woman, I am at a disadvantage. Being a person of colour is also a disadvantage…as a woman of colour, we spend our whole lives fighting for (but not limited to): equality in the justice system, pay equity, better social services, positive representation in the media and all this comes down to one thing; respect. 

We. just. want. to. be. respected!

So it hurts me deeply, when I see us tearing each other down. We are supposed to uplift our fellow sister…because if not us, then who? We are strong. We are beautiful. We are amazing! So, we have to support our businesses and stop asking for discounts. We need to stop publicly “calling out” the female we have an issue with on social media, and address her privately. We need to start holding men to a higher standard (this needs its own diary entry at a later date) and valuing our worth. We need to live within our means, and stop trying to keep up appearances. And most importantly, we need to teach our children. We need to teach them love; show them that they are loved and teach them how to receive love so that in turn they know how to give it. We need to teach them responsibility and accountability. The list can go on and on…

I guess all I’m trying to say is, because I am who I am, I am marginalized. And I wish could stand on top of the tallest building and shout out loud in a megaphone, “Instead of trying to get out of the hole by stepping on one another, we can come together and collectively help each other attempt to succeed at this thing called life!”

But since I can’t do that, I keep repeating to myself, “I am (a black) woman, hear me ROAR!”

-Justina