by Symone Robyns • February 9, 2025
As my sister and I walked around the park one day, we started talking about the news coverage of the confirmation hearings for the now Supreme Court Justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson. It was very disturbing to see and to hear the way she was being spoken to. It felt hostile and mean and as if they thought, “Who is this woman and how DARE she sit before us as if she deserves this honor!” Meanwhile, Ketanji Brown Jackson has the qualifications, the experience and the education needed for this wonderful, important honor. They treated her like she did not deserve it and like she had to prove her very worth. It saddened us and it was as if they were out for blood questioning her. It felt mean-spirited and snarky, and even disrespectful at times.
This got us talking about other situations concerning women of color; the struggles, the lack of respect, the feelings of being unappreciated, unloved, and unwanted by so many in our society. Not because we are lacking in education and experience, but simply because of the color of our skin.
As we were walking and talking, the word “unwanted” kept playing around in my mind. I thought, “Hmm, this would be a good title for a poem.” So, I kept repeating it to myself, afraid that I would forget the word and the moment would be gone. Thank goodness I remembered the word and as soon as we got back home, I wrote it down. Then I started working on the poem. The words came immediately, and it blew my mind. I knew that I had strong feelings about the subject, but I didn’t know that it went that deep. This is a very strong poem, and it breaks my heart. It hurts to have ever felt this way and to see others being treated this way.
Maybe the words to this poem will make others really SEE us as women and not judge us because of the color of our skin.
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