Page 159 - COVID Consortium Journal - An Edited Collection of Student Art and Writing

some people had to hear that. I know both pretty funny. Like most cousins,
people still do. I guess I’ve been able they can annoy you. Mason likes to
to be a child longer. make jokes, he wears glasses, and
his favorite color’s red. He complains
I have friends from school who about how much I read and that I
live in my complex. I have friends should be spending time with my
from before school in my complex. cousins instead. But past those jokes
Some of them white, some of them and complaints, I know that he just
Black. I’ve never before had to find wants to spend time with me, and
out what it means to be Black or be that he doesn’t really mean all those
white. That you automatically get things. It’s just part of his wonderful
a label. Sure I’ve noticed that some personality. Ian is a little quieter. He
of my friends have darker skin than still plays sports, laughs a lot, likes
others. But that never made me see cheeseburgers, Sprite, ginger ale, etc.
that they’ve had/will have to struggle and he’s really sweet. He doesn’t like
because of their race, and that I won’t movies or shows where people, and
have to struggle because of mine in especially animals, are hurt. They
the same way. I get along with African both like video games, and can be
American people/Latino/asian/Mexi- very aggressive toward each other,
can/white people the same. They’re all but it’s your typical age difference,
just friends. If I get into an argument sibling-brother rivalry. Even if they
with one of them it’s because of some- do jump on top of and wrestle each
thing they did/said, and nothing to other. My uncle is really nice, loves
do with race. In my complex, most of football, is pretty tall, loves going on
the security guards are Black -- as I’ve bike rides with my cousins, and lots
never noticed until recent events. The of other things. That’s how I would
porters to our buildings (building describe them to you if you asked me
cleaners) are mostly not white. I know what my cousins and their dad are
the porters, their names are Daci and like.
Carlos. They are very nice. They’re
both trying to support themselves If you asked the color of their
and their families, and sometimes skin, I would say, “ Uhhh they’re
even work multiple jobs. I’ve never Black, but why does that matter?” I’ve
had to notice this before. never wondered why they were Black
and I was white. Because they’re my
My cousins are Mason and cousins. I now hate that they probably
Ian. Mason is 10 and Ian is 6. They’re have to struggle. And now how I have
both really athletic (they play football to see that they’re Black, and I have
and baseball and basketball), they’re
to understand that they go through

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