Pros And Cons Of Being A Black Teenager

Being a black teenager in today’s society is the hardest part. Just knowing that you are being judged right away is hard to accept. From experience people always assumed I was a threatening or intimidating person just because I was a tall black teenager. Ordinarily once they get to know me they would see I am just a normal teen trying to have fun. However when police are around I cannot relax and know I’m protected because to me, I feel as if I’m the prime suspect with all the news about police racial profiling. Police racial profiling is not new as we all know it is just now being recorded on video. Seeing what happens on video is unbelievable because police usually try to help the citizens of America not harass them. Meanwhile growing older, I have learned this is not the case of every police officer in the country, it is only a

select few. Unfortunately they are the ones representing the police community and not the ones who commit noble acts that benefit the community. Similarly, it is sad that the black teens that commit criminalities represent the whole black teenager community, not the ones that are joining community groups and helping with local charities.
Growing older and wiser I learned to disregard what others think and promptly began to realize life is not just black and white it is a multitude of different cultures and people coming together to help live better lives and prosper as a human race.

As a teen I see the world as an opportunity to better myself mentally, physically and morally. The best part about being a teen today is that there are so many opportunities to take advantage of like getting a job or joining a program that betters you mentally like the University of Maryland’s Young Scholars Program. Or going out of your way to play a sport that you never played before. Today teens have way more opportunities than their older generation counterparts. We have the ability to communicate through multiple means like Facebook, text, face to face, and much more. Teens today have more privileges than previous generations which makes life a little easier, however still must tolerate similar rites of passage like finding a first job and buying a first car which is always fun. As you get older you start to comprehend the additional responsibilities you have gained throughout the

years.
To all my friends old and new do not live up to stereotypes placed against you for whatever reason, you must be your own individual. Surefire, because you are a teen people might see you as careless, ignorant, and disrespectful, all you have to do is work your hardest and remind people we do care about our future. Make sure to always stay active and try not to develop laziness which is something I had trouble doing. Find programs, join a sport, or read multiple books during the summer to keep your brain learning to become stronger mentally, physically, and morally to prepare yourself for the rigorous future ahead of you.