As an African American woman I do not view myself as a victim nor would I ever want to be the object of someone’s pity because of my background. Although this is true I cannot ignore the fact that there is a slight disadvantage for African American women in this country. We are not always afforded some of the same opportunities as our Caucasian counterparts, or even our fellow African American males. Some common reasons for this disadvantage being history, stereotypes, and environment. History: We were not born here, we brought here. We were brought to be slaves for a group of people who did not even consider us human. The past history of the black women does not put us in a position to be automatically on top. It puts us in a position where we know we have to be twice as good to get half of what is just given out to others. Stereotypes: Tonight I turned on the TV and like usual saw African American women being portrayed as the typical roles “The angry black women”, “The black girl with daddy issues”, and “The bitter black women who cannot keep a man”. I will not sit here and say that these typical roles are completely false because the truth is that the angry black women, the black girl with daddy issues, and the bitter black women that cannot keep a man exist. They do exist, however, they are not the only ones that exist. African American women were just named the most educated group in America. Give credit where credit is due. We are more than just the attitude. We are going to school, starting businesses, and making things happen on a daily basis. The cameras just are not always there for it. Last but not least, Environment: As humans we are naturally products of our environment, whether we became what we saw or we became the opposite. Since starting college I’ve been going back and forth about what I really want to do with my life and what I want my legacy to be once I’m gone. In thinking hard about this I came to the conclusion that for the rest of my life I want to be on a mission to bridge the gap. I want to bridge the gap between minorities who do are at a disadvantage just because of where they come from; especially in fields such as STEM, education, and business. It makes no sense in a country that is supposed to be the land of the free and endless opportunity, it is only extended to certain groups. I plan on becoming business owner, a physician, and a great mentor/ teacher to anyone falling in my footsteps. I plan on creating a legacy so that when I am gone someone else can say that I had an impact on their life and I am a reason they want to make a difference in someone else’s life.

-She Is Melanated