Kalynn Hicks

Now They See Me: A Poem by Kalynn Hicks

11/6/2020 1:01:00 PM

By: by Kalynn Hicks
Kalynn Hicks is a junior from Marietta on Georgia State's softball team. Kalynn, along with other GSU student-athletes and the Georgia State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) organized a march on Nov. 2 to express a desire for equality and to take a stand against systemic racism. Kalynn spoke in front of her peers and read the below poem she titled "Now They See Me". 

Imagine this…You enter every room, every restaurant, every job interview and it's just you. And no I don't mean you as in literally just you. I mean, YOU. a Black woman with natural hair, big lips, a big nose, and brown eyes. You cause there to be chatter, but you are soon forgotten. The odds are stacked against you.

Your appearance has struck them to judge you without even knowing you. Once you speak suddenly everyone's attention is on you. See, you've shocked them. Who knew the Brown skin girl could speak with such poise and etiquette? Now they see me.

Imagine this…You are surrounded by people who don't quite understand you. You have been true to yourself and who you are, but there will always be a piece of you holding back. Your Black skin sticks out like a sore thumb. Do they see what I see? Sometimes you just want to blend in, but you know you never will. Hmmmm, now they see me.

Imagine this..People doubting you because of the color of your skin. Feeling uncomfortable walking into every try-out knowing you'll be the only Black girl. Missing out on huge opportunities, because you play a White woman's sport. There's no way you will succeed. These opportunities aren't meant for you. In their eyes, this is their game. You remember the times you had to prove yourself time and time again. It felt as though it was all a part of the game. Until it wasn't.

Imagine this… Growing up and being taught by your parents that every little boy and girl could be your friend no matter the color of their skin. It wasn't until when you got older that you saw issues with being a different color than everyone else surrounded by you. And man who knew the issue would be this big in 2020.

Imagine this... The rallies are getting more intense, the protests are being bombarded by violence, more and more time is going by and your friends are silent. You feel alone. You sit down one day and ask your mom WHY US? Why are we the ones getting hurt? Why are we the ones treated with such ugliness. Why is the color of our skin such a threat? Black is strong, your mother says. It's hard to beat us when we stand together. This is why family is so important. Hmm, you say. Now they see me.

Imagine this…You are asked by your father "what color are you?" He's asked you this time and time again since you were little. You answer with a simple one worded statement. "Black." he looks into your eyes and asks you again. "What color are you?" You ask yourself why your father is so persistent with his words. The older you get, the more you understand your father and his reasoning. He wants you to truly understand who you are, and to take pride in it. Don't use it as an excuse, but as motivation to keep on pushing to places where they thought you'd never be. So now they can see us.

- Kalynn Hicks

Kalynn Hicks has also shared her experiences with The Mental Game, a blog that shares the stories of athletes across the country. To read more, you can find her article here.

Kalynn shared video of her reading the poem at the march to her Instagram page.
 


 
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