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​Growing up black

Betty Rivers, February 2023

It's important to acknowledge that not all Black people are the same. Black people come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Their cultural, religious, and ethnic identities shape their unique perspectives and worldviews. However, it's also important to recognize that Black people often share similar experiences growing up, from having to deal with your parents' nagging, the fashion trends we aspired to mimic, and even the sayings that were said.

In this article, we'll be touching on some of those similarities that we experience growing up Black.


  1. You've been at a function, usually a family function, for a couple of hours, and your parent says that you're about to leave, so they start telling everyone their goodbyes, but you end up staying for another 30 minutes with them still saying their goodbyes.
  2. When you have your favorite family member, usually your cousin, at your house, and you want them to spend the night, you tell them to ask your parent if they can "spinanite" (spend the night) at your house because if you ask, you know they're going to say no.
  3. When you wake up on a Saturday–it could be at random or it could be a Saturday approaching a holiday–and you start hearing the music by artists like Charlie Wilson, Luther Vandross, Mary J. Bilge, and more, you know that you're going to be spending that whole day cleaning every aspect of that house.
  4. Being outside the house and seeing a McDonald's and asking for something, you get the response, "Do you have McDonald's money?" Knowing you don't, shaking your head, they respond, "We have food at home," and when you get there, there's nothing that you want to eat because it's probably the leftovers from three days ago.
  5. You’re in your room minding your own business, but get called down by your parent. Upon arrival, you are asked to grab the remote for them. You look and see that the remote is 3 feet in front of them. You’re mad that they've called you for this, but you know you can't say anything, so you just give it to them. 
Honorable Mention: 
Being thirsty after playing outside all day but knowing you can't go back outside if you go in the house because your parent don't want you "running in and outside the house," so now you have to pick: are you ready to go inside and stay inside, or do you still want to be outside and play?

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  • Home
    • Black History Month Collection >
      • Angelica Dass: The Nature of Color
      • Chicago's Historian, My Father
      • Top 3 Black Artists
      • Pain For Profit
      • Black Historical Figures
      • Hiding Behind the Strength
    • Women's History Month >
      • Books Written by Women
      • women are amazing
      • A Celebration Of Women's Achievements
      • Anonymous Stories: Women’s History Month
    • Hispanic Heritage Month >
      • Hispanic Heritage Month
      • Top 5 Books for Hispanic Heratige Month
      • El Día de los Muertos - FAQ
      • Mexican Independence Day
      • Hispanic Artists
      • Hispanic Authors
    • PODCAST >
      • Love & Dating
      • All Things Black History
    • BALM Founders
    • Teacher's Corner >
      • Teacher's Corner: Gordon
      • Teacher's Corner: Ejzak
      • Teacher's Corner: David
      • Teacher's Corner: Wilde
    • Sports/Clubs
    • Student Businesses
    • Resources >
      • LGBTQ+ Resources
  • Meet Us
    • Socials >
      • Google Forms
  • This Month
    • Op-Eds >
      • Rating Valentine Candy (they’re all bad)
      • Why Are Beyoncé Tickets So Expensive?
      • Love Tropes (Ranked)
      • What Disney Couples Teach us About Love
      • Early Decision
      • Anonymous Stories: Insecurities & Self-Love
      • Why I love love
    • Black History Month 2023 >
      • Fiction Deserves Black Literature for Black People
      • The Diaspora Wars
      • Growing Up Black
      • The Duality of Afro-Latinos
      • 5 Thing That Make me Happy as a Black Person
      • Black Girls' Hair
      • Hot Takes From A Tired Black Girl
    • Media Reviews >
      • Hi-Fi Rush game review
      • YOU Season 4 Review
      • Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon
      • Roomates of Poongduck 304
      • A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Book Review
    • CREATIVE WRITING >
      • always wanting more (Trinity - Poem)
      • Cool, Calm, and Collected
      • Armageddon
    • Location Reviews >
      • Navy Pier
    • Sports Panel >
      • Chess Team Sports Analysis
  • Featured Article
  • Humans of Brooks
    • Black Excellence