What's Wrong With Black Women?

        Many people don't like labels. They say they don't like to be categorized. I listened to an interview of one of my former childhood role models Raven Symone and she discussed how she didn't feel like an African American fit who she was. She discussed how being categorized made her feel limited. This comment sparked controversy as well as other racial commentary she has made in the last couple of years. However, I pondered if I was offended. At first, I immediately was offended because all my ears heard was that she doesn't feel like she's a black person. After all, she publicly identified as black at the convenience of black households supporting her movies, clothes, and other Disney ventures. Then, I thought about what else she said and I realized I don't like labels either. I don't like the categories America shove blacks in or the stereotypes that follow. These labels are the only mainstream exposure our white and Hispanic counterparts know about us. These labels leave our men beat and bloody all across America concrete at the hands of police and their over aggression. These labels cause our women to be seen as Single, Broke, or Bougie. These labels cause our kids to be seen only as under educated, poverty stricken, and menaces to society. These labels cause our marriages to be seen as a joke and overlooked. Our wages suffers, our education opportunities suffers, our financial outlook suffers, our healthcare treatment suffers, and it's all because we are labeled  as BLACK WOMEN! Statistics say we are the least to get married, we are unattractive, we are too overtly sexual, we are ghetto and ratchet, we make up the majority of tenants in public housing, we are too independent, we have bad attitudes, we are too mean, we have standards too high, we lead in having babies out of wedlock, we have low salaries, etc. If any one of these offended you then that's good! It's good because these statistics are offensive. These statistics don't represent our grandmothers, mothers, and aunts. They don't represent the pioneers of black progression or the women that fought many racial battles to help us gain traction. These don't represent the everyday black woman of 2020. These stats don't show our women winning  in corporate America, our evolution of falling in love with our natural hair, our women in healthcare, our housewives that aren't on Bravo tv network, our women in teaching professions, women still fighting for our civil liberties, our women in restaurants earning honest paychecks. I haven't heard the song praising how the black woman can purchase her own plane ticket to be flown to a destination of her choice. I haven't seen social media post praising black marriages opposed to the praises I see to  "sleazy sidechicks"  and " babbling babymamas". Did you see the ad at the mall with the black model with a natural body and her clothes covering her man's favorite parts that my daughters don't need to see? We don't hear about the company policy that stops our white peer from wearing her hair in its natural state, or we don't hear about our Hispanic peer telling everyone how Hispanic men are discriminating against them at an all time high. I don't understand why black women are facing these injustices as bad as we are. We are some of the most versatile, beautiful, trendsetting, and creative women Earth has to offer. Our spirits endure so much and we strive still managing to find success in being driven. I hope you don't allow insecurities to pierce your journey as a black woman due to the pressure from our society. Love all of yourself and every stretchmark your thighs wear because you didn't have to spend a fortune to strut it. Love your skin tone in every hue it displays because you didn't waste money on that tanning appointment that Karen did. Plus, I really liked your Brazilian bundles but your twist out was the bomb!!!!!  You didn't get married yet, but you're breaking necks still and not breaking your bank accounts. Take some time to reflect on why you are proud to be a black woman and live out your truth! This is not an  All Women Matter post nor does it serve the purpose to bash other women, but this is an  ALL BLACK WOMEN MATTER post about self love needing to be our foundation because we face so much hate and racial injustice in this land of opportunity our ancestors shed blood toiling. God bless black women and the unique paths we're destined to take!

Sources:

 https://blackdemographics.com/households/marriage-in-black-america/

https://www.epi.org/blog/black-womens-labor-market-history-reveals-deep-seated-race-and-gender-discrimination/

https://www.healthline.com/health/natural-hair-journey-self-love#A-hair-revolution

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ruthumoh/2020/10/26/black-women-were-among-the-fastest-growing-entrepreneurs-then-covid-arrived/?sh=259e24566e01