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
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THESOULTOWN.COM • CELEBRATING 2 YEARS OF CONNECTING OUR CULTURE TO OUR CYBER & CONSCIOUS COMMUNITIES • FEBRUARY 2019
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