I grew up in the Greater Atlanta area, in a city 20 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta called Marietta. My house is located right off Sandy Plains Rd. My family and I moved to that home in 1992. Back then, Sandy Plains was two lane street. It was a stark contrast from what it is today. Nowadays, everything one needs is located right along Sandy Plains. Grocery stores, pharmacies, my high school, dentist offices, doctor offices, fast food restaurants, cemeteries, post offices, pet stores, movie theaters, bookstores, and even hair salons. My high school hangout spot was the Chick-fil-A off Sandy Plains Road. And even when we got older and wanted to frequent nightclubs; the neighborhood nightclub was a short 5 minute commute from Sandy Plains. Continue reading
Category Archives: Travel & Culture
The Most Difficult Question To Answer
The most difficult question for me answer is “Where are you from?” It may sound like a straightforward question, but if you moved around a lot as a child or you are of a mixed race or cultural heritage, this question can become complicated to answer. Mix in the possibility that the race or culture that you identify with rejects or mocks you, you may be left to feel like an orphan. Continue reading
Black Women Are Ghetto
I think Black American women are [ghetto], but not you, you’re different.
– My African Co-worker
Unfortunately, there are still people who endorse the belief that African American women are ghetto. It always amazes me that after all these years of the media exposing viewers to successful, educated, and refined African American women, people still believe the hype. Some of these stereotypes are laughable and unsurprising, but some of it rather shocking and a little disturbing. Continue reading
The 10 Most Embarrassing American Stereotypes That Are True
I was raised in public schools of suburban neighborhood outside of Atlanta. It was subliminal but I was taught that the USA does things the “right” way and other countries do things the “wrong” way. So, naturally, I believed the United States of America was the best place on earth.
Today, I am 15 years older and have more travel experience. I still take pride in my country, but I wouldn’t say that it is the best in the world. In order to say that, you have to know the rest of the countries in the world. Traveling has opened my eyes to alternative ways of living. For, who am I to say what is best?
I will say, however, the United States of America is not perfect. In fact we could do a lot better in a multitude of areas. Continue reading
My Encounter With An Angry Black Man
To the left, you will find a real text message exchange between me and some creepy guy I met at a networking event. To this day, I still cannot figure out how he got my phone number. I am also uncertain about what led him to the conclusion that I am an angry American woman. Contrary to his belief, I am proud of my Ghanaian roots. Creep.
