Black Women and Society

Black women are some of the most disrespected people in society. We are over sexualized for even wearing clothes that aren’t even revealing. We can’t be angry or express our emotions without be labeled as “loud” “ratchet” and “ghetto”. We have to change our accents when we talk. We are told to straighten our hair to look more professional, yet culture vultures can get weaves and cornrows and fros and get praise for it. And not even understand the history behind those hairstyles. Our lips are too big and ugly, yet culture vultures get lip injections, and it’s viewed as “sexy.” Our skin is too dark yet non-colored people committing blackface is acceptable.

The gender pay gap is already huge between men and women, and it is even bigger for women of color. We live in constant insecurity because society has forced us to be so. We always have to wonder if we are good enough, or pretty enough, intelligent enough, for a job interview, for dating, for keeping our careers. Most colleges accept us just so they can say they have diversity, and then not give us the privileges that come with higher education.
Most black women are single mothers and are the bread winners for their families, and yet still face so much disrespect from society on a day to day basis. Many have paid for college, have college degrees and then when they enter the world, they are turned down from their dream careers, and are working minimum wage jobs to provide for families by themselves. We are told to not be angry and be submissive to the financial, societal, emotional, mental, and physical power society has over us.

To make it worse, there is colorism. This is a term that is used with one’s own culture. The battle between dark skin and light skin. And debates and preference go around to determine which is more acceptable. We are dividing amongst ourselves instead of lifting each other up. Self- shame can begin as young as the age of three and these poor little girls are brainwashed into self hatred. And they grow up hating their skin, their hair, and their features. So they get perms in their hair, buy as many skin lightening products as they feel they need, to feel accepted and attractive. They no longer believe that inner beauty is valid anymore because society is always viewing their outer looks.

As believers, it’s even harder because with all of the pressure society, we have to fight harder to remember our worth in Christ. We don’t have the privilege to just ignore hate comments, and shut off what we hear, the ignorance, when society tells us everyday that we are not enough. It takes daily practice for us to actually BELIEVE that we are enough because God says so. We constantly have something to fix about ourselves and that is not how God created people to feel like or be like. We are stripped of our culture and our identities both as black women and daughters of Christ, is a battle to obtain. And yet we are told to just let it go. We don’t have the privilege to let it go.

To my queens let me say:

You are beautiful no matter the shade you are, your hair texture, or body type. You deserve happiness and equality as much as anyone else. God make you beautiful and when you face hate for anything, remind yourself in God’s word who you are. It’s a hard battle, but it makes us some of the strongest women in the world. Don’t degrade your worth because someone else tells you. Society claims to have power over us, but honey, you have spiritual power over it. Pray for society, defy against it, WE have power too my queens. If people don’t like you for who you are, then too bad, they ain’t good enough for you. We are queens, own it. And above all, own the truth that we are daughter of Christ before the color of our skin.