For years I struggled with internalized racism. I was taught that certain features were not beautiful that certain ways of talking were not educated. I learned to code-switch to be different versions of myself in different spaces. At work I was professional. At home I was authentically Black. I thought I had to choose between fitting in and being myself. But I realized this conflict was serving no one. My students needed to see an adult comfortable with himself not apologizing for his Blackness. So I stopped code-switching. I showed up as my whole self. I talked about my experiences as a Black man. And something unexpected happened: my students responded more deeply. They trusted me more. They learned more.
The Journey to Self Acceptance
