Peacock Pride & Prejudice

For the wrong people you will never be good enough...
Not beautiful enough, not straight enough, not white enough, not rich enough, not enough followers on Instagram and so on. 

Even when you're faced with society's rejection, stand tall, be proud of who you are and show your true colors like a Peacock! 

I used to live in a country where people are very racist. Almost every week I had to deal with some form of racism, whether it was racist comments like "Go back to your f****ing country, evil looks, condescending comments that I'm "uncultured" to racial prejudices that automatically assume I'm stupid, a criminal and bad simply because of the way I look. And yes, entering a white store automatically meant security followed me everywhere. 

"Waar ik me goed voel, ben ik thuis" Erasmus 
(I'm home where I feel good) 
I'm so lucky my parents gave me a huge sense of cultural pride! My culture is my love, joy and badge of honor and nobody can take it away from me. Growing up, my parents grew under the dictatorship of Salazar who tried to impose a white Portuguese identity on Capeverdeans. It would have been safe to submit yet that didn't stop my parents of being proud of who they are and passing along their cultural treasure unto me.

Rotterdam, a safe haven
Although so many white people tried to make me feel less than them because I'm Capeverdean, I'm not going to give up who I am to please anyone. So I ventured off to Rotterdam, the second city in Europe with the biggest Capeverdean community. Although I didn't have the intention to integrate whatsoever, Rotterdammers made me feel home from the get go. Me being different triggered their curiosity and inspiring conversations about culture and travel because a lot of Dutch people are travellers and therefore thrive on anything different and "exotic". 

Peacock Pride & Prejudice
Love yourself more than the need to please others and be yourself. The world doesn't need more of the same but more people who have the courage to show their true colors. A peacock doesn't ask permission to be who it is, it spread its wings and blesses us with it's flawed and colorful beauty. 

Like a Peacock
Your beauty is multiplied when you spread your wings & show your true colors.
Don't be afraid to be
who you are.
Each peacock feather is flawed yet together they create something beautiful