I Was Raised By

By Samra Meredith

I was raised by family across the world till I was three 
Watching my younger brother as my mom was away
Making Buna that bathed the house with the aroma of warm rich coffee
Playing with the village kids on the rocky streets
By being told “izi tikiti migibi amitu,”  “here get some food”
Being black in a black community 

I was raised by white parents
In an upper middle class white neighborhood   
in a predominately white public school
Having privilege but not really
Being black in a white community

I was raised by tradition
Ethiopian shoulder dancing to catchy fast paced music
Celebrating Genna in our white and beaded traditional clothing
Tasting the spicy meat of doro wat, pinched in injera, sauce dripping on my fingers
Gathering with my black adoptive friends with white parents
Being black in a white community

I was raised by racism and microaggressions 
“Can I touch your hair?”
“Did your hair grow overnight?”
“You don’t act black”
“Do you play basketball”
“I would never date a black girl”
Being black in a white community

I was raised by Love
Blanketed by Love from where I started
Bathed in Love from my family here
Surrounded by Love from the portland Ethiopian community
Protected by Love from those fighting racism
Being black in a white community

Samra Meredith

My name is Samra, I'm 14 years old. I was born in Ethiopia and was adopted when I was three. I am now a high school student living in Portland Oregon.