My hair is thick,

Not nappy.

I grew up in the hood,

But I still live happily.

My name isn't Ashinkashay or Tyquasia,

And we all don't look the same.

I'm my own person and I'm unique,

I'm LaBrea - I am me, that's my name.

My mother is a single parent,

Probably not a surprise to you.

I like watermelon and I love chicken,

And I listen to rap music and love to twerk, too.

I'm a lot of things to a lot of people,

Some of the stereotypes are true.

But that's just one side of me - the stories of I and others like me are incomplete,

I'll show you.

I'm educated and I do have goals,

That might come to you as a shcoker.

I have a 4.0 GPA and plan on going to college,

And I want to be doctor.

I do know who my father is,

And I do maintain a relationship with him.

Both of my parents have degrees,

And they use them.

I do use 'useless' slang with my friends,

But that's not all that I know how to say,

I speak 'proper' english and french very fluently,

Tu parle en francais?

I am good at sports,

But that's not all that I can do,

I know how to play violin, do origami, and draw,

And I dance too.

I'm more than skin deep,

I wish others could see me the same way.

I am whoever I please to be,

Not what others think of me.

Colorblind should be the thing to be;

Hopefully in the future,

That's what the world will be.