So a couple weeks ago, I went to go watch Captain America Civil War.
I got to see Black Panther in action,
in 3D...
Then there was all the Internet buzz, Twitter was lit.
Everybody changed they name to some version of T’Challa and I was like
"Oh. So now it’s cool to be from Wakanda."
Now everybody wanna be from Wakanda.
Y’all fake. And I need to speak my peace.
Hey YouTube World! It’s me, Evelyn.
To be fair,
As a child, I was never bullied for being African to any sort of detrimental degree.
I made friends wherever I went,
never hindered my education or anything like that.
Life is cumulative etc. etc. I'm Gucci. Now that I'm on the other side. I'm good!
But.
I’ve been clicked at.
Okay? Clicked.
People have clicked at me.
Like, as a joke.
Oh what y'all speak in Africa? Y'all speak African? Click click click --
Firstly, don’t speak to me in onomatopoeias fam.
Meanwhile, you can't spell onomatopoeia.
Meanwhile, I'm beating you in every standardized test.
Meanwhile, you don't know the perimeter of a rectangle, but you 17. Please re-evaluate your life.
Being from Wakanda wasn’t cool in '97, y'all.
Let's fast forward to high school.
In '05? Didn't nobody wanna be from Wakanda!
Every Nigerian teenage boy just went by an initial.
Teacher calling roll. "Uhh.. Tolu...toluh..." [deep voice] "I go by T."
How many times has someone asked you if you understood what they were saying in the beginning of Lion King.
So
many monkey jokes.
Oh and don’t forget the three infamous words that we have all heard
hurled at us on playgrounds from coast to coast:
African. Booty. Scratcher.
But now you wanna be T’Challa.
Now you wanna be from Wakanda.
Now Wakanda lit.
Now -- you don’t get to be T’Challa! You don't get to be from Wakanda!
[Kenyan accent] And to be honest? Can I just be honest? Just a little-- can I be honest?
It was...it was mainly Black kids. Y’all-- y'all was the main ones
making fun of us Africans. Y'all was the main ones.
And as an adult now, I get it. I read books.
But as a child, I'm saying, as a child. It was so frustrating.
So you just gon'...so you just gon'...
make fun of...
meanwhile all the insults also apply to you...
Okay! They don't? Alright!
And I feel like as a young, impressionable first generation American,
I never understood why they attacked me.
We're wearing the same Baby Phat jeans, player.
Okay? Like, we're wearing the same boots with the fur.
[Generic African Accent] I'm playing my role. I'm trying so hard.
While I’m sure kids now still experience the same sort of teasing that I endured growing up,
The truth of the matter is, a girl went to prom with a dashiki prom dress.
And we all collectively agreed that it was poppin'.
Can I tell you 10 years ago?
Prom?
That would have never happened.
what a time to be alive.
The point of this video is actually to tell my African brothers and sisters
my Internet Cousins watching this,
that if your story is similar to my story.
And you were teased for being African,
you have to let it go.
[blowing sound effect]
Let it go. Drop it.
Sure, they called you African Booty Scratcher and now it's #MelaninMondays.
I know. It hurts. I know.
But you gotta let it go.
'Cause if you don't, you're gonna end up like this guy.
[chuckles] You don't wanna be that guy. You don't wanna be that guy.
In the comments below, I want you to be honest. Were you the teased?
Or the teaser?
Let's reconcile.
Let's hug it out, actually.
Okay, you're breathing on my neck. Alright.
Seem like everybody wanna be T’Challa and that’s okay.
I'm not bitter anymore. This is me getting it out.
It don't matter when you get here, as long as you get here, okay?
Umoja, nawwmtambout.
Anyway, I'll see you in 2018 for this Black Panther movie.
Everybody been making jokes about how this concession stand gon' be lit.
Alright? My plate is gonna be uh, an amalgamation - jollof rice, jambalaya, and pilau.
We all make rice. It's all rice.
But in the meantime, I'll see you on the Internet somewhere, bye!
[beep]
Oh! Hey! Ha!
Didn't see you there. Ha! Anyway. Um--
If you want to watch another Magical Black First Generation American,
hit the annotation up there and watch Just Call Me Wah's video called "African Booty Scratcher".
A+.
If you wanna support a YouTube channel by Black girls who are into Captain America, comic books, video games,
and other nerdy things like such as,
hit the annotation again and watch Pretty, Brown, & Nerdy on YouTube.
See you on the Internet for real. Bye!