Since I am biracial, my experiences have been unique. Growing up, I was educated on my Latino heritage alone, hindering my opportunity to learn about Black history and traditions. Once I got to high school, I was hyper-aware of my race since I was one of three women of color in my grade. As I progressed through high school, I experienced a series of unfortunate events due to the color of my skin, and I always questioned what made me different. I was aware of racism, discrimination, and prejudice, but to this day, I do not understand why it exists.

As a person of color, you are constantly reminded of your race. However, through personal experience, I have come to notice that the reflection on who I am as a person of color takes place primarily during Black History Month. Being one of the few people in my family that is half Black as well as darker in complexion, l found it challenging to express my curiosity about my race to my family. So I set out to do some research, and from there, my knowledge grew.

I learned about the history of slavery, Black Wall Street, and, most importantly, the Civil Rights Movement. Although it may seem like these times are over, they have only shifted and it is hard for me, along with other people in the Black community, to accept this. In addition, I have become more aware of the lack of representation of people of color. As I get older and advance in my education I notice that there are few people of color who have made it this far. I struggle to find professors to whom I can relate to, as well as office personnel, not just throughout campus, but at the bank, the company I interned for last summer, basically everywhere. This lack of representation has sparked motivation in me. As I continue to advance in my education and eventually my career, I will be a representation of people of color, and I will be proof that advancement for us, although not easy, is possible.