“but bein alive & bein a woman & bein colored is a metaphysical 
dilemma/ i havent conquered yet/ do you see the point 
my spirit is too ancient to understand the separation of 
soul & gender”
-Ntozake Shange
Art by Demetria
My mother has always made an effort to push against forces that try to define her personhood. As a child, she actively challenged the image of the “perfect Black daughter" that her sisters created and abided by. Instead of focusing on getting good grades or learning how to do hair like her siblings, she spent her days hosting relay races on her neighborhood block, dreaming of being an auto-mechanic, making others laugh, flirting with boys, and living her life the way she wanted to. 
Her mother did not quite ...