Chelsea Middlebrooks

Meet Chelsea. She is a talented writer with a passion for the performing arts. She is a giving friend and community citizen, always looking for a way to help out those in need. She is also a goof ball, who likes to have fun and make others smile. Next year, she will be attending Temple University, bringing her talent to their theater program.

Without Prejudice

My relationship with my skin color is complicated. I know that I am black and that people have prejudices because of my skin color. Although even from a young age that never affected how I saw the world. In truth, I don’t try to skin color. I know it’s important and it’s apart of people's identities. Although I like to get to know people on a different level other than skin. I try to enter new relationships without prejudice. To some extent it makes me upset when people bring up my skin color, because it’s not a central or at least I don’t fully identify with the identity of african american. Which sucks sometimes because I don’t always feel fully comfortable with people of my own race because of it. I don’t act or talk black, and I don’t always like the things black people, like watermelon, and koolaid. I have a complicated relationship with my race, sadly. I would love for me to feel comfortable and loved and accepted by my race and my identity with the world. But I haven’t found the solution to that problem yet. I’ll keep you posted, if I ever figure it out.

"I can't play with you...you're black."

Small anecdotes of being in first grade. I was a kid and didn’t really know or think about what race was or what it meant. I was playing with a ball in the school yard and this white kid came up and asked to play with me. I am used to having siblings, so I was totally okay with sharing. We played wall ball or something else kids did. Then we went our separate ways after recess. The next day, I thought the guy was my new best friend, kids make friends easily. I wish I was a kid again. But when I brought the ball the next day to play, he said he couldn't play with me. His reasoning was that his mom said he couldn’t play with me because I am black. Me being a kid, I didn’t think much of it, I said okay and went off to play by myself. I didn’t realize it was an issue what he said until I told my mother at the end of the school year, towards the summer. Thinking back on it now, I don’t blame the kid, I blame his parents. He was too young to know the implications of what his parents told him to say. But there are people like this in the world and they have to grow up in household that shape them into the people they cause a cycle where people can’t grow and be open to people that are different.

Right Now

In terms of media, although race is a hot stop for America right now, especially with so many tragic events going on. I also think that people are more supportive of one another. I mean, so many of us came together for this project. Who could've imagined something like this would exist? There is also the natural hair movement, to allow African Americans to embrace their hair in their natural state. There is also advocates for African Americans and mental health in its community, since there is such a bad stigma attached to it in this community.

Coping Mechanism

No. I don’t have much experience with skin lightening creams personally. I knew about them from a young age, I just didn't think so many people used it and that is still popularized by the media, even today. The idea of people using the skin lightening creams is sad honestly, mainly because it is a coping mechanism. It will never be a long term solution. I am a firm believer that it’s what is on the outside that counts. But I think people use these products because they aren’t comfortable with what is on the inside, the outside has to do with the reflection we allow ours to see us as. We bend to their will to please others. I don’t think I can stop people from doing harmful things to themselves, that's part of the reason why cigarettes exist. But I do think people should ask themselves if they are doing the bleaching for themselves or for someone else, because in the long run, you have the only opinion that matters when it comes to you and who you are

Promote Self Love

If we had some events maybe to promote self love. Like beauty treatments and yoga. Even makeovers and dressing up. Doing things to help people build confidence in themselves and focus on their inner being. Someone who is beautiful loves himself. True beauty comes from within. You can be supermodel ready on the outside, but a not so good person on the inside. If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be to love my self. That I am amazing and to let other people see it too.

Dear Little Chelsea,

If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be to love my self. That I am amazing and to let other people see it too.