Mariah Corner

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest as a black girl, I experienced more microaggressions than I can count. I learned early on that my peers viewed blackness in a very specific light. I went to predominantly white schools and a few of my classmates had even told me that they had never interacted with a Black person before. The only Black representation they knew was from the media and pop culture.

While I primarily hung out with the small amount of people of color from my school, I also did have a lot of white friends. I remember one of my white friends at the time saying to me "you're not like Black, Black". 

In her eyes this was meant to be a compliment, but I remember feeling extremely confused by what she meant and said nothing. 

It wasn't until later that I realized how narrow-minded her view of Blackness was and how I didn't fit it.

-Mariah Corner

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