Reflective Essay: Baltimore And Stereotypes

Growing up in a household with a single mother in her teens, in Baltimore City, my childhood consisted of constantly remaining observant to the many things in my environment that my mother attempted to shield me from. Automatically when people hear the word Baltimore, they think of the hit TV series The Wire or the Corner; television shows that shed light on the large number of crimes and drugs that take place in the city. From that series people think that Baltimore is an extremely unsafe place to live and grow up. While I was exposed to the many individuals who were homeless residing near the streets of the Inner Harbor, poor neighborhoods, and poorly conditioned schools, drugs, and violence, my childhood was nothing of what people may assume. In fact, my mother worked tirelessly for us to live in a decent neighborhood, send me to Catholic school, and she still made enough time to be involved in my education. …show more content…
Before completing this personal statement, I asked others what came to mind when they thought of Africa. Many people referenced the widely known commercial on television with the malnourished children living in horrible conditions. Others said when they think of Africa they think of disease, helpless people and war. Unfortunately, not one person could identify a positive aspect of Africa. It is these stigmas against my city and Africa, my dedication to servicing others that has caused me to submit this personal essay. More personally, it is the stigmas and stereotypes I face daily, as a young African American gay woman that ignites my passion to combat the stigmas within the African American