Time Stamp

As I walked along 125th street today I made my way through the vendors, shoppers, native new yorkers and tourists that flock to Harlem daily. I'm not sure which category the long haired girl with pale skin fell into, but as she passed through the crowd she flipped her hair over her shoulder she said,

"I wish I could be black for an hour"

An older black woman whipped her head around and her eyes met mine, "Did you hear what she just said? Did you hear what she just said?" she asked incredulously"

While the woman seemed offened at the statement, I remained perplexed by the idea of being black for "an hour". Could a person experience what its really like to be a different race, gender, sexual orientation or class in one hour?

Maybe that's why she put a time stamp on it.