Interracial Family Organization

{POEM} It’s Just Who I am

// November 3rd, 2009 // written by Laura Stillman

AUTHOR BIO:

Laura Stillman is the wife of Keenon Stillman. They have been high school sweethearts/BFFs/roomates/boyfriend-girlfriend/husband-wife over the last 26 years. Between them, there are seven biracial (black/white) children ranging in age from young teens to mid-twenties. She is one of the co-founders of the Interracial Family Organization. She works full time as an Administrator and Director of Clinical Services at a Home Care agency and has a personal blog at I Am the Glue, where she blogs about balancing work and parenting, raising an autisic child, managing a large family, wrestling teenagers to the ground, and keeping a healthy relationship with her husband in the middle of the chaos.

I am me.
I will not be recognized by my race.
I am not like her,
and I am not like him.
True, my skin is darker than yours,
and lighter than yours.
I am not just white
nor am I just black,
but a beautiful combination
of both.
I have my mother’s white feet,
and my father’s black eyebrows.
I have unique curly hair,
and caramel cream skin.

Why can’t you see I am me?

by Mila Stillman, 17 years old

{daughter of Laura Stillman}