ST RICT LY T WEENS
Counselor’s Corner
My "Colored'' Perspective Self-Esteem, is how you see yourself in society. You evaluate yourself either positively or negatively based on your perceptions. The way you Through paternal grandmother's eyes see yourselfmy plays an important role on how you interact with others. It When helps my determine how was you astrive and aadapt toher theschool environment and grandmother little girl, part of was burned has a major rolecounty on whether or fix notit.you will be successful in the future. down, and the wouldn’t Why didn’t the county fix it, you may ask?has Because was aifschool for the Colored. I was happy to hear Research shownit that you have higher self-esteem you tend to that this experience was a motivating factor for my grandmother’s parbe more grounded and happy. You are also healthy mentally and physticipation the Civil grandmother for ically unlikeinthose thatRights sufferMovement. from low My self-esteem andmarched tend to be her Civil Rights and the Civil Rights of her people. depressed and unhappy.
Through the eyes of my maternal great-grandmother
Self-esteem is very important when it comes to academics. If you lacks self-esteem, times may notice that you struggle Colorisms is many prejudice or you discrimination against people with aacademicaldarker skin tone. From what my mother told me, my great grandmother wasa poor ly too. Think about a time you or maybe one of your friends got a colorist. Sheand would always say, or “marry or white.” phrase is grade in math told yourself yourlight friend stated “IThis suck, or I’m an example of colorism. Once I learned about my great grandmother’s just not good at this”. This is unhealthy and is how you develop poor perspective, I would always wonder if she would have liked me. As a self-esteem. don’texperienced even realize that they doing what young Black Most man, Ipeople have never colorism, butare I have experiwe call “negative self- talk”. There is a positive relationship between enced racism. high self-esteem and being academically successful. When you are academically successful, you take pride in your work. You tend to enThrough my eyes - My wonderings courage yourself, work hard and set goals. There are many ways that During childhood, in fear. I One had to have “talk” whenpositive I was you can my create healthyI lived self-esteem. way is the by remaining four due to hatred towards my community. I would often why am I and speaking positive to yourself. It may seem weird orask, sound hated because of my skin color? strange, but encouraging yourself- and telling yourself good things, keeps you healthy.why Black communities and Black schools lacked the I often wondered resources found in White communities at an early age. I wondered why
some people would ask,time “whyyou do Blacks live indown, “bad” neighborhoods?” For example: The next are feeling look in the mirror Here are some reasons, we have to live in “bad” areas because we have and tell yourself “I love you”. fewer or no all. watch how great you start to feel. Do this options every day foroptions a weekatand I will admit at first it might feel strange, but the more you do it, the better you feel.
