Black like me White like me

“The baby’s cute . . . why don’t you adopt her?”

“If her own mother doesn’t want her, why would I?”

This conversation took place between two nurses in thedelivery room right aft er I was born to a 16-year oldunmarried mother. This was a precursor of the kind ofstruggle my life would be unti l I stood up and shouted, “IAM SOMEBODY!” Why did it take me so long???

I don’t want you to think I am harping on the bad thingsthat happened in my life. Despite everything, I am anincredibly positi ve person, who has taken a licking andkept right on ti cking! My saving grace is mentoring, andstanding up for those who just need someone to stand upfor them. Maybe one of these days, I will be more able tostand up for myself. I’m getti ng there. This is just my life,honey, simply the way it is. I am telling you my story. Thisis a story about success, and giving back to a communitythat mostly kicked me in the teeth.