E-B-O-N-Y

E-B-O-N-I

Different vowels same sound

Different words which is right

E-B, just two letters

E-double B-I-E

Another nickname

Which is my name, when you spell me wrong what should I do, when you mispronounce me What should I say

When you say you right there with the braids, how should I react?

What should I do when you refer to a group of people who look like me as “you people”?

Is there a God given right for you to call me that

To disrespect me

To ignore me

To treat me as inferior

I don’t think they understand.

My name is mine

There can always be plenty people like me
But it relates to me; it defines me; it makes people remember me

Makes me unique,

It adds on to my black girl magic

It tells my story,it makes me legendary

They may ask what does EBONI mean?

Look, online. Do you see a definition for the correct spelling of my name E.B.O.N.I.

Is it there?

What do you find? Well I find something saying, “The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary. Click on a spelling suggestion below or try again”

Those words “try again”, what does that mean?

Am I not important

Am I so irrelevant that there’s not even a definition for my name

The word E-B-O-N-Y means very dark or black

Although this is the incorrect version of me, it ties into my identity

Prideful

Black

Not African-American, but BLACK
BLACK PRIDE

I have a say

I am IMPORTANT

I MATTER
I’M not a SHADE, but a person

Don’t just look at me and characterize me by anything else rather name my name EBONI

Does anyone truly care about Trayvon Martin, or the many others killed

MLK, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman

You remember these names right?

These IMPORTANT BLACK PEOPLE

What I seem to not understand is why you do not know my name

I AM just as relevant as them

WE as a COMMUNITY are important

DO NOT:

Single us out!

Pity us!

As they say, Blacker the berry the sweeter the juice, well WE are the darkest of them all which means  

WE are intelligent self sufficient people

I AM a beautifully made person with determination and goals in life

Bequeathed successfulness and creativity all the way down towards me

US as Black People are sought out to be a THREAT

a CHALLENGE

WHY is that?

Does my skin intimidate you

Does my confidence intimidate you?

Does my hair intimidate you?

Does my voice intimidate you?

Does my walk intimidate you?

Does my VERY PRESENCE IN THIS ROOM intimidate you?

IF so, tell me why…

I’m different and I embrace it

I’m unique and I embrace it

I’m EBONI and that’s what you’ll remember me as

NOT as:

EVONY or

SHORTY or

THAT  BLACK GIRL WHO JUST DANCES or

ANYTHING THAT IS NOT MY NAME

YOU, can NOT define me

YOU, do NOT get to call me whatever you please

YOU, are to respect me

YOU, are to appreciate me, my melanin

YOU, are to remember me as EBONI.

E-B-O-N-I, Eboni Singletary.