I am a person of color.

Sheltered all my life before I knew the truth.

My world has changed.

My world has grown

And you’ve opened my eyes

To the reality of privilege

That I do not have,

That I lost at birth, at conception.

But I will not give up

I will not give in.

Together you and I,

My siblings of color,

Will prove we matter.

Our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers

Are human and our skin color

Does not define who we are

Does not hint at our personalities.

A lot of privilege we may not have,

But our culture is still important.

Don’t let them make you forget

Don’t let them put you down.

Stand out.

Speak up.

Shut their voices out.

I am a person of color.

And I will make my mark.