{"id":18814,"date":"2025-02-27T16:00:48","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T22:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/?p=18814"},"modified":"2025-03-18T18:43:52","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T23:43:52","slug":"more-than-what-they-see","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2025\/02\/21\/more-than-what-they-see\/","title":{"rendered":"More Than What They See"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>More Than What They See<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-social-links is-content-justification-right is-layout-flex wp-container-core-social-links-is-layout-765c4724 wp-block-social-links-is-layout-flex\"><li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-facebook  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=61556140010887\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12 2C6.5 2 2 6.5 2 12c0 5 3.7 9.1 8.4 9.9v-7H7.9V12h2.5V9.8c0-2.5 1.5-3.9 3.8-3.9 1.1 0 2.2.2 2.2.2v2.5h-1.3c-1.2 0-1.6.8-1.6 1.6V12h2.8l-.4 2.9h-2.3v7C18.3 21.1 22 17 22 12c0-5.5-4.5-10-10-10z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-instagram  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/boudin_mcneese\/\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12,4.622c2.403,0,2.688,0.009,3.637,0.052c0.877,0.04,1.354,0.187,1.671,0.31c0.42,0.163,0.72,0.358,1.035,0.673 c0.315,0.315,0.51,0.615,0.673,1.035c0.123,0.317,0.27,0.794,0.31,1.671c0.043,0.949,0.052,1.234,0.052,3.637 s-0.009,2.688-0.052,3.637c-0.04,0.877-0.187,1.354-0.31,1.671c-0.163,0.42-0.358,0.72-0.673,1.035 c-0.315,0.315-0.615,0.51-1.035,0.673c-0.317,0.123-0.794,0.27-1.671,0.31c-0.949,0.043-1.233,0.052-3.637,0.052 s-2.688-0.009-3.637-0.052c-0.877-0.04-1.354-0.187-1.671-0.31c-0.42-0.163-0.72-0.358-1.035-0.673 c-0.315-0.315-0.51-0.615-0.673-1.035c-0.123-0.317-0.27-0.794-0.31-1.671C4.631,14.688,4.622,14.403,4.622,12 s0.009-2.688,0.052-3.637c0.04-0.877,0.187-1.354,0.31-1.671c0.163-0.42,0.358-0.72,0.673-1.035 c0.315-0.315,0.615-0.51,1.035-0.673c0.317-0.123,0.794-0.27,1.671-0.31C9.312,4.631,9.597,4.622,12,4.622 M12,3 C9.556,3,9.249,3.01,8.289,3.054C7.331,3.098,6.677,3.25,6.105,3.472C5.513,3.702,5.011,4.01,4.511,4.511 c-0.5,0.5-0.808,1.002-1.038,1.594C3.25,6.677,3.098,7.331,3.054,8.289C3.01,9.249,3,9.556,3,12c0,2.444,0.01,2.751,0.054,3.711 c0.044,0.958,0.196,1.612,0.418,2.185c0.23,0.592,0.538,1.094,1.038,1.594c0.5,0.5,1.002,0.808,1.594,1.038 c0.572,0.222,1.227,0.375,2.185,0.418C9.249,20.99,9.556,21,12,21s2.751-0.01,3.711-0.054c0.958-0.044,1.612-0.196,2.185-0.418 c0.592-0.23,1.094-0.538,1.594-1.038c0.5-0.5,0.808-1.002,1.038-1.594c0.222-0.572,0.375-1.227,0.418-2.185 C20.99,14.751,21,14.444,21,12s-0.01-2.751-0.054-3.711c-0.044-0.958-0.196-1.612-0.418-2.185c-0.23-0.592-0.538-1.094-1.038-1.594 c-0.5-0.5-1.002-0.808-1.594-1.038c-0.572-0.222-1.227-0.375-2.185-0.418C14.751,3.01,14.444,3,12,3L12,3z M12,7.378 c-2.552,0-4.622,2.069-4.622,4.622S9.448,16.622,12,16.622s4.622-2.069,4.622-4.622S14.552,7.378,12,7.378z M12,15 c-1.657,0-3-1.343-3-3s1.343-3,3-3s3,1.343,3,3S13.657,15,12,15z M16.804,6.116c-0.596,0-1.08,0.484-1.08,1.08 s0.484,1.08,1.08,1.08c0.596,0,1.08-0.484,1.08-1.08S17.401,6.116,16.804,6.116z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Cacelie Gooden<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><br><em>\u201cOne fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.\u201d &#8211; Dr. Seuss<br>\u201cOne eye, two eyes, one girl, one guy.\u201d &#8211; Society<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">For many people of color, especially Black Americans, entering a public place like a store warrants people watching you like a hawk, stereotyping you. Waiting for you to slip something into your pocket even when you have no intention of doing so. From an early age, I was told not to wear black\u2014because in the eyes of society, black on Black is a crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Imagine being five years old, already aware that the color of your skin means something entirely different from your peers. When I was told not to touch anything in a store, then, it wasn\u2019t about a price tag\u2014it was about the assumption from others that could land Mom in a jail cell and me in the hands of CPS. We were guilty before I even picked up anything. My tiny fingers, always careful, never straying too far, always aware of watchful eyes. It wasn\u2019t a child\u2019s innocence that people saw, but a potential threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Every moment calculated. White employees behind the counter, hands trembling near the silent alarm. Hands never in my pockets, but at my side, visible, obedient. Being told I could be searched at five wasn\u2019t just a warning; it was an eternal reminder that my body would always be seen as a threat. That warning stayed with me, a heavy, invisible chain that followed me into my late teens and early adulthood. Even now, when I walk into a store or step into a professional setting, the awareness never fades. My skin is still the first thing they see\u2014and it\u2019s the first thing they suspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">It doesn\u2019t stop in stores. In professional settings, you\u2019re automatically \u201ca DEI,\u201d no matter what your credentials are. You could be elected vice president, but still, they\u2019ll question your worth, as if your very presence is an exception, not an achievement. At school, open your mouth, and you\u2019re \u201cloud,\u201d fitting into the stereotype. Stay silent, and you\u2019re \u201ca troublemaker waiting to erupt,\u201d like a volcano on the edge of explosion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\"><em>It never stops.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Even among your own community, where you\u2019re supposed to feel safe. You hide your straight A\u2019s, terrified of being called \u201cwhite-washed.\u201d Or you hear, \u201cI didn\u2019t think you were smart because you know&#8230;\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\"><em>What do you know?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">You have to be more than great to make it. More than smart, more than capable. More and more until you break. Then, you\u2019re a \u201cmess\u201d\u2014shattered by the pressure to always be better, always be more. And when you do break, there\u2019s no room to heal, to be whole. Only the label remains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">On social media, if another racial and\/or ethnic group is facing turmoil and you don\u2019t say anything quick enough or anything at all, you are \u201cdamaging POC unity.\u201d But where were these people when George Floyd was murdered in cold blood or when the 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was killed and Black people were out protesting from dawn till dusk for months? It\u2019s not the Black community\u2019s duty to fight for others to receive nothing in return when it\u2019s our turn to feel society\u2019s unwanted hatred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\"><em>It\u2019s not only damaging mentally but also stressful.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The same urgency and solidarity should apply in all moments of racial injustice, not just when it\u2019s convenient, trending, or you feel like looting a store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\"><strong>My ode to the Black community:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">In every glance, there is an assumption. In every encounter, a reminder that we are seen before we are known. But we should not be the sum of what others see. We shouldn\u2019t be confined by their gaze or their fears. We are not the sum of their surveillance; we are the sum of our own truth. And that truth, in all its depth, cannot be reduced to a moment, a glance, or a stereotype.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\"><em>That is true Black history.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Cacelie Gooden<\/strong> lives in Connecticut and is passionate about racial justice and personal storytelling. Throughout her life, she has participated in numerous equality and equity-based extracurriculars where she had opportunities to create real change and inspire others. Through her writing, she aims to raise awareness and challenge societal perceptions, offering a more nuanced perspective on issues that affect marginalized communities. She has been writing about these topics for around 10 years, and is continually inspired by the stories that shape our collective understanding of history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>__________<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"438\" height=\"211\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg 438w, https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1-300x145.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 438px) 100vw, 438px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">\ud83e\udca0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2025\/02\/24\/wristbands-required\/\">Back<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To learn more about submitting your work to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/boudin-submissions\/\">Boudin<\/a><\/em> or applying to McNeese State University&#8217;s Creative Writing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/mfa-application-submissions\/\">MFA program<\/a>, please visit Submissions for details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More Than What They See Cacelie Gooden __________ \u201cOne fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.\u201d &#8211; Dr. Seuss\u201cOne eye, two eyes, one girl, one guy.\u201d &#8211; Society For many people of color, especially Black Americans, entering a public place like a store warrants people watching you like a hawk, stereotyping you. Waiting for you&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[227],"tags":[75,116,47],"class_list":["post-18814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-black-history-month","tag-boudin","tag-nonfiction","tag-nonficition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18814"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19141,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18814\/revisions\/19141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}