The Soultown! Volume III: Issue 2 FEBRUARY 2019 | Page 27

REAL TALK WITH ROGETTE HARRIS What Does It Mean To Be A Black Woman in America? HARRISBURG, PA - America celebrates Black History Month in February, but as a Black woman, I live it every day. I vividly remember the day I realized I was black. Not my skin color, but the kind of black that people fear, oppress, judge and single out. When I was 7 or 8, I walked in my class and saw an open seat between two boys. As I sat down, one of the boys said: “I don’t want to sit next to no Black girl”. I froze. Even though I knew I was “different”, I never truly knew what it meant until that day. My mom had always taught me that there was only one race and that was the human race. I told my mom what happened. That’s the first time she had the “conversation” with me. That conversation black parents have with their children on why we are treated differently due to our blackness and how to handle it. Fast forward. In college, I was asked to run for President of the University Democrats. I agreed. It was between me and a White male student. His father previously held an elected position in Pennsylvania and he felt he was entitled to have the position. Due to that mentality, he did what many White people have done to me. He underestimated me. I won but didn’t get to enjoy my victory for long. I was approached by a senior member of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party to share the President position. We would be co-Presidents. I was told, “it’s for the good of the party”. It took me years to understand what that meant. To me it was simple; there was an election, and I won. If the roles were reversed, I know he wouldn’t have been asked to share the position with me. I refused. This incident was my first real experience that democracy is not for all of us when it’s an inconvenience to certain others. I learned at a young age that I was “different” – not biologically, but in treatment. I learned that I was expected to speak, look, act, dress, eat, and even dream a certain way. I learned that as a Black woman with 2 Master degrees, no criminal record or baby daddy’s, that I still get passed over by those with much less and if I do get the job, being paid much less than my white and male counterparts. I often come across the attitude of “as a black woman, you should be glad you have what you have. Sit down and shut up.” In the end, no matter what life brings my way, I will continue to stand as the resilient Black Woman that I am, because I already know who I am. *An excerpt from my upcoming book “Madam Chair: My experiences as a Black woman in Politics* I am Rogette Harris, with Real Talk, I thank Black Women for having SOUL! , “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” — Dr. Mae Jemison, 1st African American Female Astronaut © 2017 Digital & Print Magazine CONNECTING OUR CULTURE TO OUR CYBER & CONSCIOUS COMMUNITIES ROGETTE HARRIS REAL TALK WITH ROGETTE HARRIS HARRISBURG, PA [email protected] thesoultown.com See what’s happening in thesoultown.com! THESOULTOWN.COM • CELEBRATING 2 YEARS OF CONNECTING OUR CULTURE TO OUR CYBER & CONSCIOUS COMMUNITIES • FEBRUARY 2019 27