At 7 years old, I thought I found the perfect friend. We played, laughed, and shared childhood joy—until one day, he told me we couldn’t play anymore because I was Black. That moment of rejection was my first real encounter with how quickly a welcoming space could become unwelcome.

In this episode, I reflect on the innocence lost that day and how it shaped my understanding of race, belonging, and adaptation as a Black Gen Xer. From childhood confusion to adult perspective, I explore what it meant to grow up in spaces where acceptance was conditional and rejection could arrive without warning. 

Tune in for a personal story about resilience, race, and the lifelong impact of a single childhood moment.


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