Tag: georgia
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Gaslighters in the Church #BlackLivesMatter
Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd. There are more. There are others who have left us before them, have left us since them, and will continue to leave us as we fight this war against white supremacy. Since these glorious black people have died, I have experienced a myriad emotions and thoughts ranging from deep…
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I’m Leaving Augusta—Here’s Why
Dear Readers, Nina Simone once defined freedom as “no fear.” She, a talented musician and vocal Civil Rights activist, fled the U.S. and lived in Africa and France for a time. James Baldwin, another powerful Civil Rights activist, also moved to France to escape racism. It’s that spirit, that strong desire to live a full…
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Isolated in Georgia and Hunting for Platanos
Dear readers, I’ve lived in Georgia for about six consecutive months. As each month passes, I’ve been finding myself enjoying more and more aspects about the Southern life. Who knew there could be so many options for chicken? And not dealing with below freezing temperatures and blizzards? I’m good with that. As I stepped out…
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I Was Sexually Assaulted at Work (They Did Nothing to Help Me)
Yesterday was my last day at my previous job, where I worked in retail. I will not reveal the name of the company because I do not want to risk any legal action against me on their part. I began working with this company in early August. I had just moved to Georgia from New…
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America is Racist
While speaking Spanish to my mother today while out in public, a white man mocked what he thought my Spanish sounded like. I used the famous Puerto Rican Spanish word “bendito” and he said “oooh poquito poquito!” He proceeded to stare at me as I walked around the store. He followed me. I decided to…
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I Saw Them (Mi Gente)
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about an incredible and brief encounter I had with a young lady at a famous restaurant in Atlanta. She saw me and stood by me. You can read about that here: https://parakajol.wordpress.com/2017/07/16/she-saw-me/ Just yesterday, I had the opportunity to perform this same service to a…
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Dear America: My Father is White (And That’s Okay)
This weekend has been jam packed with hospital visits and emergency surgeries, but I finally have a few moments to sit and breathe. For those of you who don’t know, I’m “biracial.” My mother is Afro-Puerto Rican and my father is German-American. In other words, my mother is brown and my dad is white. Their…
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She Saw Me
Hey, readers. Since I’ve been here in Georgia, I’ve noticed how contentious my Black Lives Matter shirt can be. In NYC, multiple people would exclaim their approval of it whenever I left the house with it on. But, here, oh no. I get stares and scoffs from old white men and approving looks from young…