We should be defined by skin

Walking this amaurotic, murky, but convenience earth that we live in; I am judged wherever I walk. No matter if it’s going to the grocery store, bank, school, or job, a set of molds towards me will most likely get be misjudged. It all correlates to one the thin layer of tissue that forms on the outside of my body. That one thing is simply my skin. Only blacks will understand what other black people go through because of how and where we were raised. Also, the way of being judged by simply having light or brown skin ties into the deviant behaviors sports athletes represent and even non-athletes is awfully unfair. I am a light skin black male and I am not living in the hood now. That doesn’t mean I am not from the hood. I was raised in Acres Homes, northwest section of Houston, but my mother made sure I wouldn’t follow same path as most kids from my neighborhood. I moved out of the hood early in middle school but my “way out,” was basketball. My track record upon now; honor roll student, blogger, school newspaper writer/editor, and had internships that turned into jobs. Just because I am from the hood doesn’t define who I am or my character. Stephen Curry has been my favorite basketball player since I was in the 7th grade. Curry’s transition now from being the underrated guy to the unanimous MVP, I couldn’t even predict. But the way he is perceived as being “light skin” shouldn’t even matter. Curry comes from a wealthy family but worked hard to where he is. Growing up in a rough area, I had to work harder just to make it out. At the end of the day, Curry and I are both “light skin.” We just come from different backgrounds. The way I am defined, shouldn’t be determined by my skin. -- Canaan Cadwell