It's Just a Joke.
Victoria S.
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I wrote this piece in my Creative Writing Workshop class, going through multiple rounds of peer feedback. My goal was to bring to light the fear of calling out your friends or peers when saying a micro-aggression when you know they intend fun or are just toying around. This occurs more often than people realize, and we must act more courageously. I know the cowardice of the situation and the regret of realizing that you could’ve said something. School administration is used to diminishing the act of microaggressions because they may also see it as a tease and don’t realize the severe impact it can have on the mental health of minority students. They also play into the fear of speaking up because they don't want to be deemed ‘overreacting.’ Microaggressions push minorities into a box where they have little room to grow and remain submissive to the stereotypes forced upon them. High school is the central hive of shaping the minds of the future; therefore, we need to hold people accountable for all harmful behavior.
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Creativity means allowing myself to be vulnerable and honest with myself and my audience. Whether it's on a theatre stage or a creative writing presentation, I continuously strive to be as unapologetically myself as I can.
