Nothing more vivid can strike a memory than seeing the Disney channel logo be drawn out in front of your eyes right before your show starts. Your favorite character now lives outside of your beloved show and the excitement your body feels is almost overwhelming. For me that experience didn’t always ring true as I was a skinny, tall, shy black girl and only saw someone like me when I looked in the mirror. Representation was few and far between with movies like Princess and the frog being promoted as much as it could be. My voice shook on every syllable that left my mouth, anxious as anyone could ever be. I wasn’t outgoing and seeing myself being confident was as much as a dream as seeing a black girl on screen as often as other races. I believe that representation in the media is the starting point for self love. Being able to watch That’s so Raven and just see a black girl in the spotlight introduced me to the confidence I had not known I had before. So much so I wanted to share that with everyone in any shape or form I could, including public speaking.

My voice is as loud as I want it to be. It shrinks in front of too many people, when I have to stand up for myself, or when I am reading alone in my room. It grows in volume when someone hurts, when someone needs help, and when I am passionate. I don’t think my voice would have gotten above this, if not for the influence of certain shows and movies like, That’s So Raven that showed me I could be as loud as I wanted to be. Raven Braxter is an extroverted, exuberant, and passionate girl. Taking on every challenge that comes her way and not caring who sees her. I remember, eyes gleaming with awe, at such confidence wishing for myself that I could have a bit of hers to talk to the person who was bullying my best friend. I was only nine, a string bean whose voice squeaked when she talked and this eclipsing shadow of a fifth grader was the challenge I knew I needed to take on. I didn’t have supernatural powers like Raven, but I did know which lunch time the bully ate in so I knew where I needed to be. Sucking in a deep breath, squeezing my hands together, and remembering how this girl who looks like me was so sure of herself, I marched right up to the bully and stood on my tippy-toes before demanding they leave my best friend alone. I had never stuck up for myself let alone someone else before and even though I was shaking, my glasses foggy, the bully had gotten quiet and I had grown a foot taller. 

(Its definitely not finished but I got to the second subpoint)

For my Civic Blog I did decide to have it be about environmental issues that impact minorities. I think Its a really important topic that can be looked at microscopically being its a blog. I want to just shed light on things that are happening in the world when it comes to the environment that might not be acknowledged all of the time.  For my passion blog it was really hard for me to choose between the two of them but I am going to review different animes and decide if they’re something I would recommend to someone else or if they’re horrible and the reasons why.