Peer Pressure: Don't Give in to the Hype

   
There will always be some person in life that will pressure into doing something. Someone might try to get you to smoke, drink or even have sex. Peer pressure is a serious problem in inner city kids. Teenagers always want to be considered cool or popular. So, they try to put themselves into the situations where they can become these things. However, the people who are already considered this aren't particularly "cool". The "coolest" people are often considered as the best fighters and the ones who get in trouble the most. Essentially, they are the baddest kids around. These kids often take advantage of the kids who want to be like them and make them do crazy things.  
     In the story "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake, Maleeka was pressured into vandalizing her teacher, Mrs. Saunder's, classroom by her "protector" Charlese. Charlese used her as a sort of "flunky" so she could get good grades. Maleeka was blinded from seeing Charlese as a bad influence, so she let her boss her around. This peer pressure is extremely dangerous because it could have gotten her kicked out of school or even arrested.  In most cases, the need for attention and popularity is so great, that the teen would do anything for it. This is how teens become victims of peer pressure. The best advice I can give on this is  just be true to yourself and live your own life to the fullest.

Complextion Complex




Different Skin Tones..Which do YOU prefer?

 I once asked a friend of mine which skin color on boys does she prefer. She said that she liked light skinned or "Caramel" boys and referred to other darker boys as "burnt" or blue -black. It was a truly harmless conversation that day, but now i realize that this really hurts.
   People are always talking about someone because of their unique skin color. In the story, " The Skin I'm In," by Sharon  G. Flake Maleeka was harshly talked about because of her dark skin tone. The boy John -John who was the main one always antagonizing her teased her constantly about her skin tone. This is a major problem because a person cannot control their DNA and change their skin tone. Therefore, you can't hold the fact that they are too light or too dark for you. I would be categorized as a light skinned girl. I have been called all types of names like "light-bright", "yellow Oreo cookie" , and even white. This may not seem like a huge problem, but it is because it can tamper with ones self esteem.Their are many teens who aren't as confident as they should be because they feel that they aren't "light enough" or "dark enough". Only thing that I have to say is that you should be happy about the things you know like your special talents and knowledge. You shouldn't be so self-conscious about something that you can't change like your skin tone.

SPEAK : What Holding Your Tongue Can Do.

       Have you ever been in a situation when something happened to you and it was so horrible, but you were afraid to tell? Or, have you ever felt trapped by threatening words and blackmail? Maybe, you just feel ashamed and don't think that you should tell anyone?  Well, I'm here to tell you that you have to SPEAK UP. Being scared to tell someone your problems is normal because many people feel as though their buisness doesn't have to be shared with everyone they know. However, you have to find the strength in yourself to be able to tell. Their are a vast amount of issues that people are ashamed to speak up about. For instance,it can be a small problem like someone having a bully and don't want to tell a teacher because they are intimidated. However, it can also be a major problem like being raped.

When something like this happens , you must inform SOMEONE!

    In the story "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake, Maleeka was in a situation where she was almost raped. She never told her mom, but told her bestfriend. In the end, you have to tell someone! If you don't, you will be scared alone, and thats the worst fear ever.