bldixon8907

<p>Let me be honest with y’all for a second — because that’s what we do here.</p> <p>These Juneteenth earrings almost broke me.</p> <p>I’m talking <strong>multiple rounds of “what in the entire hell is this”</strong> energy. Wrong colors. Cuts not coming out clean. Designs that looked cute in my head and tragic in real life. I threw away more materials than I care to admit. I questioned everything — my skills, my process, my whole little crafting journey.</p> <p>But you know what? I kept...

<p>Let me be honest with y’all for a second — because that’s what we do here.</p> <p>These Juneteenth earrings almost broke me.</p> <p>I’m talking <strong>multiple rounds of “what in the entire hell is this”</strong> energy. Wrong colors. Resin not curing right. Designs that looked cute in my head and tragic in real life. I threw away more materials than I care to admit. I questioned everything — my skills, my process, my whole little crafting journey.</p> <p>But you know what? I kept going....

The moment people see me, they've already decided who I am. Before I open my mouth. Before I introduce myself. Before I prove anything. They've looked at me — a Black woman — and filed me away into a category they're comfortable with. Mom. Or worse, they see the melanin first and assume the worst. Another angry Black woman. Another stereotype to confirm. And I'm supposed to just… live inside that box. I don't fit. Let me tell you who I actually am. I am educated. Not just book smart — I mean...