Strong Enough to Destroy the Stereotype…Whew Angry Black Woman!
There are many dimensions to our strength. We are strong when we set boundaries. We are strong when we say no and stand on it. We are strong when we cry and question.
This time we need to be strong enough to use our strength to destroy THE stereotype. It is the dreadfully harmful and stressful stereotype that seeks to shame us, silence us and suffocate our emotions until they lay motionless within our spirit.
Angry Black Woman! The carefully curated stereotypical label that is affixed to our face at birth. This beautiful black baby girl will be an angry Black Woman. We have witnessed the power that it has over the minds of others, the strength it has to control their interactions, perceptions, behaviors and the calculated way it dances around the lives of Black women. Over decades, this stereotype has accumulated immense power! It is so powerful that it is in the room making decisions and setting the atmosphere before it is even uttered.
Its presence is suppressive as it sits next to us, in the boardroom, classroom, church, grocery store, bus stop, team meeting, the Zoom square, and…
Here is the problem, we have allowed it to take away our strength. There are times, wait, many times when we have been wronged, abused, dismissed, mistreated, ignored, sabotaged, lied to and on, skipped, silenced, declined, and undermined. We face many obstacles and challenges that are unique to the intersectionality of being a woman and Black. The natural reaction of any human being experiencing these type of life moments would be anger. However, many of us, have stripped away our right to feel anger, display anger, sit with our anger, because we are desperately trying not to give credibility to the stereotype. I am right there with you.
There is a fear of showing the anger because then they get to validate, yep she is an Angry Black Woman. Yet, we are doing harm. Let’s strip this stereotype of its power and show that we are strong enough to be angry and to hold the people accountable for their actions that created our anger. If we are honest, the ones that believe and use the stereotype are doing it to avoid the conversation, the challenge and the choice to look at the situation without biased influence.
Imagine, if we start calling people out when they use the stereotype. What if we clearly state the source of our anger? What if the next time someone gives us that look, we give them that look back and state, “Let’s talk about your role in my reaction.”
Let’s have the strength to find our voice. Let’s have the strength to snatch the power from it. Imagine if each one of us and the people, all the people that support us call out the absurdity of the stereotype, we can make it weak.
God, didn’t make Black Women angry. The stereotype was cultivated to choke out our voice, health, and mental wellness. I know that it is difficult, and it may even be risky, especially in our careers. Sisters, I would rather take the risk, than risk abandoning my purpose, decimating my Unbotheredness and allowing the traumatic stress to erase my beauty.
When needed, yes I am an angry Black woman that is strong enough to call you out, expect impactful change and display the range of emotions that the Creator gifted me with.
You mad?
KDP
#TruthTalk #AngryBlackWomanandwhatdidyoudo #Destroythestereotype #Imangryandrightfullyso
#SeeMe #RespectMe #TalktoMe #Strong