Disclaimer: everybody and they mama knows how much I love U of M

#but

Today I’m having one of those days of feeling tired of being black in white spaces.

And the thought forcefully pops into my head…[what if you went to Hopkins or Georgetown or U of Houston or Princeton or Penn] … because at all of those places I can 1) find black people (and Nigerian people) and/or 2) be a short drive away from home.

There’s a community of my people at Michigan don’t get me wrong… but it ain’t D.C. or the tri-state.

Some days I just honestly don’t have the strength to be the only one…it is a slow exhaustion that just sneaks up on you sometimes…

As black women (as minorities) there is *always* a social cost for choosing among the most prestigious institutions that some people* just don’t have to deal with. And when I get this tired some days I’m just like… why be a scientist? why the f— did I pick one of the most marginalizing fields on the planet?

AND .. I STILL feel this having come from some of the most supportive environments in the world. So I can only imagine what my fellow brothas and sistas are going through that don’t have that kind of support.

P.S. I always find myself diminishing my challenges by saying things like oh *insert famous trailblazer* did xyz at *insert unsupportive environment* so I can do it too. Yeah that’s true, but my feelings are still valid. I recognize it’s 2017 and I’m blessed and all that. Even in these moments I’m forever grateful, but a ninja is tired today #sodazzit.

Anyway, I’ll get over it.

“Some days it ain’t sunny but it ain’t so hard.”