BANDIT

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"We teach girls to shrink themselves
To make themselves smaller
We say to girls,
"You can have ambition
But not too much
You should aim to be successful
But not too successful
Otherwise you will threaten the man. Because I am female
I am expected to aspire to marriage
I am expected to make my life choices
Always keeping in mind that
Marriage is the most important
Now marriage can be a source of
Joy and love and mutual support
But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage
And we don't teach boys the same?
We raise girls to see each other as competitors
Not for jobs or for accomplishments
Which I think can be a good thing
But for the attention of men
We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings
In the way that boys are
Feminist: the person who believes in the social
Political, and economic equality of the sexes"
-Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie- We Should All Be Feminist.

________________

Zee Banks...

Growing up in the streets of Baltimore, I never had that loving mother and father I saw on tv. They were too busy, working and getting money, that I was the last thing on their mind. I guess that's where I get that from.

I'm the only child between the two, but I do have an older brother on my father's side. It's seems as though pops was doing more then working a 9 to 5 hour job.

I remember raising myself from the ages 13-18. I would scrape up money around the house, mow lawns and shovel snow when needed. Basically I saved up money for lunch and things like that. Nobody else would supply my needs. So I had to get money the best way I knew how. Independent at 13 buying my own clothes, meals and cosmetics.

At the age of 16 I began working at Home Deport for two years. Once I saved enough money, I was able to move in an apartment. I moved out on my own at 18 in an one bedroom apartment which I pay $500 a month for.

But the job I had, wasn't paying me enough money so I had to find another one. I'm now 23 and what I do is looked down upon in society because I'm a female. But who gives a fuck, money is money.

"What." I groan rolling over to look at the time. It's going on 2 in the morning, and this nigga is calling me about some nonsense most likely. I just want some sleep.

"Bring ya ass here now." He speaks through the phone, hanging up. I sit up in the bed sighing, swinging my feet to the side of the bed.

I sigh in frustration, putting my hair into a bun. After slipping on some clothes and sandals, I grab my car keys out the bowl leaving out.

Walking out to the warm air, I stuff my hands in my pockets closed out. It's creepy walking around the projects at night. The drug dealers, and addicts just loiter around here. One homeless man grabbed me last week and I made sure to use my pink mace. I haven't been grabbed since either, niggas know I'm not the one.

I unlock my '03 Lexus about to approach it when I bump into someone making me drop my keys. I was about to spaz on him but I seen it was Latrell so I calmed myself. We live in the same building and an old friend of mine.

We started hanging out when I first got here, then he told me he had feeling for me, and I ended that friendship quick. We then became distant to the point where he didn't even come around my door anymore.