From the moment that Columbus reached the Americas, brown people have been subject to oppression through systematic racism, microagressions and outright hostility. The rich history of the pre-Columbian peoples of this continent was almost completely eradicated by the European invaders. Brown skin came to be synonymous to poverty, filth, and unattractiveness. This is an ode to my people. A reminder that our existence is an act of resilience, that we are beautifully brown, beloved by the Sun.