Not every Black girl on television was the star. Some were the friend who walked through the front door without knocking. The classmate at the l
Not every Black girl on television was the star.
Some were the friend who walked through the front door without knocking.
The classmate at the locker.
The cousin.
The neighbor.
The girl sitting beside somebody at lunch.
Maxine on Family Matters.
Denise on Full House.
And so many recurring characters who simply existed inside the everyday worlds children watched.
There is something worth remembering about that too.
Because belonging isn’t only being the center of the story.
Belonging is also being woven naturally into the world.
A Black girl could be someone’s best friend.
Someone’s crush.
Someone’s lab partner.
Someone’s competition.
Someone who made everybody laugh.
Someone who showed up again next week.
She belonged there.
SURVIVOR AFFIRMATION:
I do not have to be the center of every room to know that I belong in it.
Friendship is part of my inheritance.
Community is part of my inheritance.
Being welcomed is part of my inheritance.
I deserve relationships where I don’t have to perform for my place.
REFLECTION:
Who was your childhood best friend?
Do you remember what made being around her feel easy?
May we never underestimate the people who weren’t the main characters in our lives but somehow made the whole story sweeter.
