Perhaps, I’d have participated I might’ve even nominated some top competition or at least shown up to accept the award of black sheep. It was like a vote had occurred, and no one handed me a ballot. If I had to hone into what irks me most about the comment, it’s how it was delivered. To say I haven’t mulled over this conversation with my sister a few times would be a lie. Basically, the outcast of the family because they choose to do other things than live up to their parents’ standards.”įor the most part, both sources seemed to agree on the meaning of a black sheep. “Black sheep - a term used to describe someone who feels left out in a family. I even cross-referenced Webster with Urban Dictionary to be thorough. “Black sheep - a disfavored or disreputable member of a group.” I headed on over to Webster’s Dictionary to get the official definition. So, I did what any self-proclaimed student of life would. I want to think such things would be obvious, but the conviction in her statement had me second-guessing my understanding of the criteria to be a black sheep. Me? Out of everyone in our family, I’m the black sheep? How Sway? Last summer, while visiting, my younger sister let slip over dinner that I was considered the family’s black sheep. To be an individual within a black family is to stand out, and that’s not always ideal.

The list goes on, but I think I’ve made my point. It’s as simple as enjoying country music, being vegan, or voting Republican. It doesn’t take much to become an outcast within the typical black household construct. Photo by Jose Francisco Morales on Unsplash

Define dark sheep