Black, in Haddonfield
By Zion A Lee, HMHS Class of 2022
Speech delivered at the Black Lives Matter rally at Haddonfield Memorial High School – June 24, 2020
I have been a resident in Haddonfield for almost seven years now – meaning I have been a Black person in Haddonfield for seven years. This is my perspective on being an African American in Haddonfield.
I know some people like to see Haddonfield as a bubble – they don’t think of it as “the real world.” As for me, my bubble popped when I moved here from Camden when I was nine. In Camden everyone looked like me – my neighbors, teachers, and friends – black or brown. I can’t say I didn’t know anything about race, but I sure didn’t think I would be a victim of racism in Haddonfield.
One instance I can vividly remember is from my first month as a new student. I was doing a science experiment with a classmate. When I went to pick up a piece of equipment and hand it to my classmate, she looked me dead in the eye and said “Drop it. Get your black hands off of it.” I wasn’t really hurt by it at the time, but I look back now and realize besides the fact that my ten-year-old classmate commanded me like a dog, she made it seem like my hands were contaminated or infected because I’m Black. There was a hidden message that my blackness was a disease. I think my classmate’s words probably came from a household where race is rarely talked about. Or maybe a town where the talk of race is taboo.
Almost all of the Black history we learn in school is watered down or whitewashed. It’s almost like the school is too afraid to tell us the truth because of how gruesome it is. We all know the majority of Black history isn’t pretty because of the treatment of African Americans in America. We are still being treated like garbage after 400+ years.
I also remember the first time I went shopping downtown alone. I was paying for a pack of gum and was stopped by a white boy who would be in my 6th grade class the next year. He thought I was another Black girl and kept calling me by her name. When I corrected him, he had the nerve to call me a liar.
Black people do not all look alike. We are not monolithic. Teachers do not need to be surprised at how well I read and write. Classmates shouldn’t be upset or disappointed that I don’t play basketball. We are each our own person. We are not a zoo attraction. Don’t ask to touch my hair. Don’t comment on how dark my skin is. Don’t sexualize Black girls’ body types. And definitely don’t tell me that I’m an angry Black girl for expressing my emotions. Those are all forms of microaggression.
Don’t get defensive when a Black person tries to tell you how you made them feel, when you said we are “exotic.” Instead of being upset, figure out how to change your ways and not make the same mistake again. Also don’t ridicule Black features and culture and then turn around and get lip fillers or box braids, or glorify black music.
You don’t get to choose when you like Black. You might think I’m only talking about past events, but recently – as in this year – I have been called the N word and told to “go pick cotton.” Those who made these comments were taught they have the power to put me down, just because I have a darker complexion.
This all goes to say that racist events like Floyd’s, or Taylor’s, or Martin’s aren’t just happening in Kentucky, or Minnesota, or Florida. They’re going to get closer. Soon they will be in Philly, then Jersey, then Camden County – and eventually right in your face in Haddonfield.
I hope this protest today helped you become more aware of your own biases. As a community we need to come together and confront this issue and destroy it. If you were offended by anything I said, maybe you need to step back and check yourself. You may be a part of the problem.