I’ll tell you what

I’ll tell you something
I’m both black and white
But my proximity to whiteness
Is a shield with holes in it
I’ll tell you the truth
Makeup is a sham
I’ll still be brown regardless
You’ll still think I’m ugly
I’ll share my pain
In my immediate family
I’m the darkest one
I hate when it’s pointed out
In fact my proximity to blackness
Is the butt of a long-running joke
It never should have mattered
It’s ok to be different
I’ve always been human
But not treated like one
I’ll tell you what
I’ve been torn down
For the color of my skin
But now I can rebuild myself
Way better than before