Welcome!!!

Welcome to the wonderful world of a token black girl. First off I must say that I didn't initially start off as a token but realized early on in life that that's what I was perceived as.

I was raised in the 'inner-city' (i.e. ghetto) but did not relate well to my peers. I participated in the standard ghetto past times, such as playing K.I.N.G., double-dutch,and catching lightening bugs, then progressed to Spades, Pitty Pat, and backgammon. I had no problem in middle school because it was a diverse crowd, but by the time I got to high school, I knew I was different.

Because I preferred standard English over Ebonics, and spending my lunch time in the classroom instead of the cafeteria, I was often harassed. Over the years I've managed to hold onto a few of my childhood friends that never labeled me, but my college experience did the opposite.

I learned that my personality led people to believe that I would marry a white guy, I would prefer listening to rock instead of going to 'da club', and that I'd rather spend my money on books than the latest fashions. These perceptions confused me because I had never blatantly opposed anything considered 'black', but when I got into the work field and acquired new friends, I saw that they were right all along.

I have never considered certain things to be only for Black people or only White People, but society doesn't think the same. Wikipedia says that tokenism refers to the practice of inclusion of a limited number of minorities to a group, and in fiction, it refers to a character that may be present, but has no effect on the overall plot. By that definition, I am not a token. But in my neighborhood I am because:

a) I have more friends that are non-Black than Black
b) I use my 'White voice' more often than not
c) I read Philadelphia Weekly instead of The Philadlephia Daily News

Some would say that I am an 'oreo' (Black on the outside, White on the inside), which I probably am, but in this area, I am a token.


I am not here to belittle, degrade, or offend.
I am not trying to be something that I am not.
And, I am not ashamed of my race.

Although I don't entirely agree with that label, I can't deny it because I am who I am.

So, enjoy, debate, laugh, or hang your head in shame. Do whatever. Just know that I am only telling you how I perceive the world that perceives me.