Black Girls.

       

Lets start this one off with a spoken word poem by the amazingly talented, Kai Davis (Ooo, Natvice plot twist)

CLICK HERE FOR MOBILE VERSION OF VIDEO

    Black women are beautiful, brown women are beautiful and I can’t say that enough times to compensate for all the times we are told otherwise. So what if even our own men don’t stick up for us, promote our own repression? We must to stick up for us, we must to stand together and even stand alone if we have to until people of all shades stand with us. We must lead on not lean on people, we need no crutch, we need no assurance, we must already know our worth therefore no one can challenge it.

     Lately, I have seen black women accomplishing so much and I am so proud of us! But with all the positives, comes 10 times more negativity attempting to counteract our great deal of progress which can be frustrating. Light skin vs. dark skin, the whole, newfangled, "I don't date black girls" movement and the ill-mannered portrayal of black women via television (primarily reality T.V.) is simply sickening. I'm going to touch on 2 of the 3 topics in a little more depth and briefly (very briefly) close with my views on our portrayal on the television as the stereotypical, angry Black woman.

    I am tired of being separated from my fellow sisters due to how much more or less melanin is produced in my skin cells. Light, Dark, Brown, it all boils down to one thing: Black. I am tired of my worth being measured in how far along my color fits on a grey scale. We are so much more than that and you should not allow the world do boil you down and separate you as if you are some sort of science experiment. Your skin pigment has absolutely nothing to do with how lovable you are or how beautiful you are allowed to be perceived, you are much more than these standards set for you. I ultimately turn my nose up at those who use these terms as a source of identification; Is light/brown/dark skinned all you are? Does that label define you so much to the poing that you believe it deserves a place in your internet biography, for it will serve a substantial purpose in defining who you are to those who read it? Is that what you put your identity in, a color? Please, think more of yourself than that, you are so much more than that, do not allow them to deceive you, do not allow them to define you, but define yourself. Your identity is not in your color, for that can change merely based on the direction of the rays of the sun. Instead, let your identity be found in what you stand for, what you dream of, what and who you love and the love that you have for the people in the world who, despite the fact are so wholeheartedly attempting to persuade you not to love yourself, you love anyway. Now, on to the next topic of discussion.

     This has been going on for a while now but I see it being more shamelessly expressed now more than ever, the statement, "I hate/dislike/wound never/do not date black girls". Ironically, I've only ever heard black men protest the fact that they "hate black women" and  to me, that is both puzzling and sickening. This is due to to the fact that, he himself is black and his mother very well may be a black woman and so is his grandmother, his sisters, his aunts etc. All signs point to self loathing, insecurity and immaturity at that point, in my book. Black women, do not let this bring you down, stand firm and do not be moved, know your worth and do not let others ignorance distort the image you should have of yourself as nothing less than absolutely lovely. 

   Now on the the thing in which we all know and apparently the majority of Americans seem to love: the dreaded reality T.V. I am tired of watching distinguished black women; doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs etc. ; project themselves across dining room tables like sling shots in ball gowns and be paid for it. This is ultimately what black women are portrayed as in general on television; a loud, attitude-stricken, belligerent, angry bunch and you are paying your cable station $67.95 a month for what you could easily go see in person for free at a bar on the right night. The fact that these women have such a large following is mind blowing to me. This is ultimately the endorsement of our own stereotypical downfall. Which I could go on for days about but I'm sure you'd just stop reading and if you've made it thus far, well, thank God for you. 

    Black women, you are beautiful, do not allow the world to define you, tell you your worth, how far you may stretch your arms out for success, what you must wear, listen to or how much you are allowed to love yourself, if at all. You are worth so much more than the world makes you out to be, you are an under-appreciated treasure, therefore, if they cannot treasure you, please, do yourself the honor of treasuring yourself, you deserve it.