I'm An Air Force Brat And I've

My Mother Really Wanted Me To Be In Possibly A Beauty Pageant, Not Only For If I Could Win, But It Helped Improve My Self-image Because Of Trauma In My Childhood And Other Issues.

Coming From The '50s, Things Were Very Violent. We Were Still Being Lynched. If I Drove Down Through The South With My Mother, I Might Not Make It Through One State Without Being Bullied Or Harassed. I Feel Like Unless You've Been Black For A Week, You Don't Know.

At The Beginning, My Ambition Was Never To Break Down Doors. It Was Just To Earn Tuition For Myself And Work In An Industry Where Women Hadn't Been Allowed Or Invited. That's All I Wanted To Do, Not Thinking That I Would Make Waves, Change Minds, Excite People, Incite People, Turn On People, Repulse People.

That's What He Was Saying, The Civil Rights Movement - Judge Me For My Character, Not How Black My Skin Is, Not How Yellow My Skin Is, How Short I Am, How Tall Or Fat Or Thin; It's By My Character.

Thats What I Crave That Diversity.