You say I am all white
But how can I be all white?
I am 30% Nigerian
You say my voice sounds white
But how does a voice sound white?
I am 10% Cameroon, Congo & Western Bantu Peoples
You say I am all white
Is it because I grew up in a society that only wanted whites?
A society that I had to deny half of myself
Just to be seen
You say I am all white
You are half right
I am biracial
I am 30% Nigerian
And
28% England & Northwestern Europe
I am proudly biracial
And claim
Both of my halves
But yet
The way I speak
Determines
My ethnicity
I don’t understand
How a voice determines my
Whiteness
Or
blackness
You say I am all white
That I need to stop
That I can’t rap
But who gives you
The right
To say I am all white
I am biracial
A woman
Raised by a white family
A woman
Surrounded by whiteness
You say my voice sounds white
And
You are half right
I am biracial
And
Half white
But you are also
Mistaken
You say my voice sounds white
But yet
You do not understand
That a person’s voice
Cannot determine their ethnicity
Your Voice Sounds White is inspired by the Olympia painting by Edovard Manet through the lens of linguistic bias. More specifically, this piece is referencing a specific incident that occurred between Roebuck and a friend. One where the friend questioned Roebuck's voice in terms of sounding too white or concluding that the sound of her voice was due to being raised by a white family. Through these assumptions, Roebuck has seated her figure on a couch taking subtle cues from Olympia: blunt gaze and daring its audience. Roebuck has specifically taken this reference to question, "how does a voice determine someone's ethnicity?" This line of questioning and prejudices made of Roebuck is continued throughout the piece, hidden and obscured. The three pillows situated behind the figure specifically say, "What does being black sound like?" You are all white," and "Your voice sounds white." The assumptions and prejudices made of Roebuck are continued on the legs of the figure saying, " Your voice sounds white."