The Importance of “Protect Black Women”
2020 has become the year of change. I mean, it’s once again election year in the US, Coravirus came out of nowhere, and the rise of activism is as relevant as ever. Nearly twenty years ago, I was only 5 when 9/11 occurred. I don’t remember much, but I’ll always remember its impact on my life. I’m a part of a generation who had to endear some pretty eventful times: The Iraq War, 2008 economic crisis, Hurricanes, Terrorist Attacks, Mass Shootings, the Me Too Movement, Black Lives Matter, Rise of Social Media, Body Shaming, Body Positivity, Anti-Bullying, Seeing three presidents in office. These are only the events I can think of at the top of my head. Now, you may ask, what the hell does that have to do with black women?
Short Answer: Everything
As I grew older, I started reading into history more, and that’s when I realized something. In their roles throughout history, black women are either briefly mentioned, or their efforts are minimized. As a black woman, I found it a bit puzzling. I mean, black women founded both the Me Too and Black Lives Matter. Even back in the early 20th century, Black women played a vital role in the Women’s Suffrage. People tend to forget that if it weren’t for women like Sojourner Truth and Anna Julia Cooper, who were also pushing hard for all women, women wouldn’t be able to vote today.
“Only the BLACK WOMAN can say when and where I enter in the quiet undisputed dignity of my womanhood, without violence or special patronage; then and there the whole Negro race enters with me.”
-Anna Julia Cooper, part of her 1893 Speech at the World’s Congress of Representative Women
“That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man — when I could get it — and bear the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman?”
Sojourner Truth, part of her famous 1891 speech, “Ain't I A Woman?”
Look, I’m not downgrading what women like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton had accomplished in history. Still, I want people to acknowledge that, like white women, black women were always standing alongside them through the process.
I have idolized white counterparts such as Catherine The Great, Queen Elizabeth the 1st, Marilyn Monroe, Mae West, Hedy Lamarr, Emily Dickinson, Katherine Graham, among many others. I have also both seen and read about many extraordinary black women who I also idolize like Harriet Tubman, Bessie Coleman, Phillis Wheatley, Alice Walker, Marie Van Brittan Brown, Madam C.J. Walker, Wilma Rudolph, Maya Angelou, Claudette Colvin, Marsha P. Johnson, Mae Johnson, Josphine Baker, Dorothy Dandridge, among many others. However, to learn about them, I had to do my own research and not strictly rely on the information my school history books provided.
Do you know what all these women have in common?
They have been undermined and unestimated against for strictly being themselves.
I say this cause this is not an observation; it’s a simple fact.
For generations, black women had to endure the hardships of being black and women as well. I didn’t study in neither the mass studies of Feminism nor African African studies, but I can write based on only what I know.
Black women are always in the background of America. We have to fight every day to get a piece of the ideal American Dream. We are prejudiced and oppressed due to negative stereotypes stove upon us after generations of lies started by white men. These stereotypes typically include us being “mammies“ / servants, viewed as “erotic“ and hypersexualize at a young age or the “strong“ black woman who displays a can do it all attitude or the ghetto chick who doesn’t know better, or the “token“ best friend of the main white character or the “angry” black women who become bitter after being betrayed by those in her life or the boujee type who thinks she’s better than everyone else because of her complexation / escaping the place she comes from. Growing up, I have seen my fair share of all these types on tv shows and movies.
At the end of the day, we have to protect ourselves because not even our black men can. I’m not saying all, but some black men are even against when they really should be for us. As well said by the late Tupac in his song, “Keep Ya Head Up.”
“And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?
I think it’s time to kill for our women
Time to heal our women, be real to our women”
There was a mention of a recent New York Times article. It talked about the struggles of black women today. They particularly shine a light on Recording Artist / Entrepreneur the self-proclaimed; “Hot Girl,” Megan Thee Stallion. She published this Instagram post on Tuesday.
In the article, Megan opens up about her violent encounter with fellow artist Tory Lanez. To recap, the encounter in question happened after they left a party back in July, and on their way back, things were said between the two parties, and Lanez retaliated by shooting Stallion twice at her foot. Luckily, her injuries were not life-threatening, but the aftermath of the situation is another story. She went through victim blaming and cyber bullying for days after she posted another Instagram video explaining what happened. People were either defending Megan or finding ways to discredit her version of events. On the other hand, Lanez was radio silent for weeks. He eventually broke silent. As a result, he was officially charged on the 8th and is scheduled to be in court mid November. His charges include
- assault with a semiautomatic firearm
- personal use of a firearm
- carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle.
If convicted, he can possibly face over 20 years
This situation had since re-sparked a conversation for me. There has been a correlation between a certain level of disrespect against women of color, violence, and legal & public action. Now, why is that?
I’m an American
I’m a Woman
I’m Black
I’m a Daughter, Granddaughter, Sister, Niece, Cousin
I’m a Friend
I’m a College Grad
I’m a working citizen
I’m a member of the next generation of future leaders (Gen Z )
Shouldn’t I receive the same respect and support as if I was white?
