I am done being silenced. I am always accused of being too angry, too passionate, and too loud.
I have heard it in many forms.
“Why are you so mad?” “Why are you so angry?” “What is there to be so pissed about?
So, I am going to tell you why I am so angry –
I am angry because I am paying attention.
I am angry that your people’s history is part of the mandatory curriculum, but my people’s history is an elective.
I am angry that one out of every three black men in America should expect to be incarcerated in their lifetime.
I am angry that we have replaced slavery with mass incarceration and refuse to acknowledge that, YES IT IS A RACE THING.
I am angry that we have a xenophobic, sexist, and racist president in office.
I am angry that his entire administration is also xenophobic, sexist, and racist.
I am angry that our vice president believes in electro-conversion therapy to “fix” people who were never broken.
I am angry that sexual assault survivors continuously have to relive their trauma when they watch the news.
I am angry at Brett Kavanaugh and all the men like Brett Kavanaugh that use their power to do terrible, cruel things.
I am angry that ICE continues to rip families apart.
I am angry that people think “immigrants need to come here legally” when it can take up to 15 years to obtain citizenship.
I am angry that you don’t realize how privileged you are.
I am angry that DACA students are living their lives in fear.
I am angry that hardworking immigrants continue to get accused of stealing jobs that no one else would dare work.
I am angry that confederate flags still get hung up loud and proud.
I am angry that you say the wage gap no longer exists, but statistics show that white women make 79 cents for every dollar a white male makes, and African-American and Hispanic women make 60 and 55 cents for every dollar.
I am angry that you don’t understand that because it’s my body, it’s my decision.
I am angry that we can’t talk about our periods without making you uncomfortable.
I am angry that period blood is the only blood not born out of violence, yet women are still socialized to feel ashamed of menstruation.
I am angry that pads and tampons are taxed but Viagra isn’t.
I am angry that I have to walk with my head down, so you won’t mistake my eye contact for wanting physical contact.
I am angry that you think “all lives matter” is the correct response to “black lives matter”.
I am angry at Trump, Pence, Kavanaugh, Bannon, and Sessions.
I am angry that all of those people I just mentioned are white men, and I’m angry that it isn’t a coincidence.
I am angry that women continue to get raped when they’re walking home from work, the gym, or the supermarket.
I am angry that my father is one of the thousands of hardworking Latinx men in America that have wrongfully been labeled as criminals, drug dealers, and rapists.
I am angry that my parents risked everything to come to this country to give me a better life, and they have always been treated as second class citizens.
I am angry that my mom is depressed because she can’t secure a decent job without knowing English.
I am angry that school shootings are a cultural norm for America now.
I am angry that politicians think their second amendment rights are more important than children’s lives.
I am angry at how common it is for people my age to say “I am not political”.
I am angry that my PASSION will always be ANGER.
I am angry that if a man was as outspoken as I am about the things that I am passionate about, he would be “educated” and “intelligent”, and I’m just an angry female.
I am angry at white supremacy, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, and racism.
I am angry that I continuously must validate my anger.
I am angry that you DON’T SEE WHAT I HAVE TO BE ANGRY ABOUT.
I am angry, I am angry, I am angry.
I am angry like Rosa, Maya, Dr. Martin, Audre, Gloria, Bernie, Barack, Angela, Hillary, Betty, Malala, Michelle –
And you should be too.
HCXO,
Sophia