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An Open Letter to An Oscar Nominee

Dear Quvenzhané,

First of all, I want to congratulate you on your Oscar nomination. You've done something at the tender age of nine that some women three time your age or more will never get to do. No matter what else happens in your life, this historic moment is something to be cherished.

Sadly, not everyone is able to celebrate with you. As I'm sure you know -- or will be told in your future -- sometimes being in the spotlight subjects you to people who aren't very nice. They aren't able to be as wonderful as you are, and it makes them feel bad about themselves. Rather than working toward being good at something, they'd rather insult you and try to cut you down to their size. And because your skin is caramel-kissed in a world full of rosy-cheeked babies, you're going to be subjected to even more ugliness than you deserve.

If you're a typical child, you'll probably wonder why. Here's your answer: those of us who live in brown-skin are often berated and belittled by people who don't look like us because they don't understand us. You're probably thinking, "That doesn't make any sense." And you'd be completely right -- it doesn't.

So what can you do? Keep living, learning, growing, and shining. Don't dim your light because someone else can't stand the glare. Maybe they'll put on a pair of sunglasses and bask in your glory. If they can't, well, that's not your problem.

Here's to a wonderful life, lil' sis!

Love, MackDiva

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