Well, here I am today. Fearless, mature, aware of who I am and who I want to become. Not afraid to stand up for myself, not afraid to stand up for those I love, and those I don't even know. Now, let's visit the me on that night. Anxious is the best way I can describe myself for that period of time. I was constantly taking turns between having my eyes glued to the television screen and conversing with my roomates. Waiting and watching... waiting and watching. I was so excited though, it was my first time ever voting, I was apart of something huge! "Whew, his electoral college votes are pretty high!" I thought to myself. "Whatever, this man can't win. This country won't allow it." I can't stay up for things like this, it takes way too long. I had an early class in the morning. I don't know about anyone else, but I hate bags under my eyes. Off to sleep I went, a nice sleep might I add. Then BOOM! I'm awake again. Geesh, the night went by quick. I hurried to take my phone off charge and google the results. "Donald Trump Wins Election"... I'm sorry, come again? I even googled the results again to make sure I was not imagining things, to make sure that google didn't somehow play an April Fool's joke in November. As much as I hate being tricked, this was certainly one time I truly wished someone was playing with me. I still had about an hour left to sleep, so I laid back in my bed. My campus was so different that day, no one talked. Everything was so quiet. I was actually very scared for what could have happened. Some may think I was paranoid, and I would not be mad at that thought. Yes, someone could have fought, argued, or attacked the campus without warning. To my surprise, nothing happened. I was relieved. A young woman in my women's literature class cried because her brother had been getting bullied in school by children who are too young to understand just how important equality is, but yet not too young to be influenced by the people who see minorities as less than. Her fear broke my heart, I will never forget her tears that day. Her anger, her sadness. I will never forget it. However, seeing her cry turned something on in me, a fire that can never be extinguished. I did not ask to be here, I am literally the product of an egg and sperm. But guess what else? I will not live in fear because my skin is brown or because I am a woman! I will not be afraid to attend any job interviews. I will not be discouraged from owning my own business. I will not be a coward to anyone or anything who does not have the power to place me in heaven or hell, but may choose to drag me through the most dangerous places of society and leave me for dead. Go ahead, leave me. I'll rise. Go ahead, tell the world I am not capable of being a politician because I am too "emotional", tell them I'm "angry", tell them I belong in a kitchen and not an office making business decisions. Tell them my hair is not "elegant", my brown skin is not the standard of beauty. Let them think that so I can make them even more mad when I rise! Let them think that I cannot hold an intelligent conversation with my mediocre entry level degree, up against their PhD. Oh boy, because when I rise, when she rises, when we rise, the force will be something to be reckoned with. So, am I afraid of Trump? Ha! Do pigs fly?

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