By: Artena Peak

I chose my eighth grade dance team photo as my childhood memento. As I look at this photo, it brings back a lot of memories. Looking back at the picture, I think that I was unattractive. There is no way that you could have convinced me of that then. I use the adjective unattractive because in comparison to my friends I was not as cute. My hair was dry and nappy; my lips looked chapped and big; and my uniform was too tight. I remember that I was destined for great things at such a young age. I was determined to be the best that I could be. I was determined to try even though I knew that the odds were against me. I was a leader not a follower.

I tried out for the school’s dance team. There were so many girls that tried out, including my friends, and just about all the girls in my neighborhood. I was a little discouraged, but I still believed that I would stand out amongst the rest. I really didn’t feel that I was in competition with all of the girls, only the black girls. I knew that they would be accepting far less black girls than they would white girls. I was hoping that they would recognize my “IT” factor.

Obviously, I made the dance team. I was one of the two black girls that made the team. While there were plenty of pretty black girls; even those that I thought were prettier than me, I felt that there was something that stood out in me; something that made me shine above the rest. I learned one important lesson that day. It’s not always about how you look, but how people convey you. I possessed something much greater than great looks. I believed in my greatness within!