Name: Tierra Ellis
Age: 23
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Current town: Gladstone, MO
Occupation/Activities: Team Member at Noodles and Company, Poet
What does being Black mean to you?
“To be Black is to be whoever and whatever I want in this skin, with no apologies. To be Black is to be THE culture, to be wanted for what we give to the world but not for who we are.”
If you don’t mind sharing, what was your earliest experience with racism?
“My earliest experience with racism is one I don’t remember the beginning of. My mother’s father, a Sicilian man, was racist and disowned her once my mother and father got into a relationship. Throughout my childhood, I remember him not being around specifically because my father is Black. I saw him maybe a handful of times in my life. Simply knowing that he (and his side of the family) refused to be around because not only is my father Black but so are my younger brother and I created a lot of deep-seated trauma within me. When I was younger, I thought he would love me if I was someone different. As I got older I realized that his hatred for people who didn’t look like him wasn’t my problem, it was his.”
What do you want non-Black POC and white allies to know right now?
“It is okay to still be unlearning things that you were taught through the bigoted views of others. Don’t be too hard on yourself, we all have things to learn and unlearn. The important thing is that you are making the effort to grow, to be better, and to do better!”
Want to share a story about race, racism, colorism, prejudice, etc.?
“I didn’t understand colorism until high school. I had a friend who was dark-skinned, and during our friendship, there were some things she said that I didn’t exactly understand (because it hadn’t been my experience). As I took the time to listen to her, I realized everything she was saying was coming from pain, from experience. She proceeded to tell me about how differently she was treated than lighter-skinned Black women, [how she was] seen as masculine and less attractive, [how she was] less accepted and called obscenities (etc.), simply for having a deeper complexion. I was naive to think that all Black people would be treated the same by white people and even each other, not realizing that being lighter gave me privilege for being closer in proximity to whiteness. Colorism is dividing our community, and it causes self-hatred within our dark-skinned brothers and sisters. It is not taken seriously enough. We cannot keep creating generations of Black people that hate who they are because their skin is darker. Lighter-skinned Black people also perpetuate colorism by not speaking up when we see and hear someone being colorist. If we are not advocating for dark-skinned Black people, we are part of the problem. We cannot keep allowing white supremacist ideals to dictate how we feel about ourselves and each other. We need to create change and accept each other! We can create change within ourselves and also work on changing the things around us.”
Have you had any experiences with systemic racism (in school, work, etc.)?
“There was an incident in high school. This particular day, I remember dressing up, as it wasn’t something I did that often. I went to one of my English classes, at the time I had two. I walked to the front of the classroom to hand my teacher something, we spoke for a moment and then it happened. She reached out and touched my hair, then proceeded to ask if it was ‘all mine,’ as if she assumed that Black girls who had long hair didn't grow from their own scalp. It’s really unfortunate how microaggressions/racism can ruin an experience for you. That memory is legitimately the only memory I have of being in that class. It’s almost like I dropped the class after that, even though I know I didn’t.”
Is there a difference in the body positivity narrative between white women and Black women? Are there different standards?
“The body positivity movement started out very diverse, then gradually, plus-sized cis-gendered white women became the face of the movement, silencing the very plus-sized Black women that created the movement. It has become a space for the more palatable, that align with society’s standard of beauty, thus being anchored in whiteness. Black women have been pushed out of the conversation, even though we are of the same body types as our white counterparts. The body positivity movement is not currently intersectional. The movement cannot be “body positive” if it doesn’t represent fat Black people, Indigenous people, and other Brown people, as well as being inclusive and accessible to trans people, queer people and people with disabilities.”
What are you passionate about?
“I’ve been writing poetry for about 12 years and I’ve just recently gotten into painting!”
What inspires you?
“The sun! I’ve been absolutely obsessed with the sun for about 3 years! I find it easiest to write in a quiet place with the sun peaking through the leaves of a tree that is shading me. I constantly find myself in awe of how it gives us light and gives life to all the wonders of nature, so much so that it is the muse for quite a few of my poems.”
Who do you look up to?
“I look up to Black creators who have seemingly perfected their crafts. When I have come to the end of my life I hope to feel the same way about my art as I do theirs at this very moment.”
Here is an organization Tierra would like to promote!
“The Know Your Rights Camp, founded by Colin Kaepernick, is empowering Black and Brown communities in the U.S. by further educating them on their rights including: the right to be free, healthy, alive, and the right to know your rights! I believe it is an organization we need and will need in the future. The Know Your Rights Camp is ensuring our youth can advocate for others as well as themselves. You can donate at www.knowyourrightscamp.com."
Here are 20 of Tierra's favorite songs!
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