Protect Black Women

“The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.” – Malcolm X.

Granted some of you reading aren’t from America and or American but the shit still applies, sadly. Black women really are diminished to such a point that their value in regard to their humanity is often forgotten. The narrative of Black women being “strong” and “independent” disregards any other emotion and or actuality which can be viewed to challenge that narrative. Said narrative does not need to see the light of day is consistently as it does.

Black women are pushed a considerable amount to be the light at the end of the tunnel for grown ass men who don’t want to get their shit together which infuriates me to such a high degree for a number of reasons. First and foremost, there is only one Nicki Minaj on this earth, these bitches is not my sons. Secondly, your son needs therapy, not another mother, please and thank you. The projection of this narrative can stem from a lot of things, and the home is one of them; The socialisation of children has a considerable amount of significance in regard to how they "turn out" post puberty. From my own personal experiences and from things I’ve observed, I feel like there is more of a 'benefit of the doubt' approach and or more excuses made in order to align with the reasons as to why "boys will be boys"and I don't feel as though girls experience this to such a way that they're excused for behaving in certain ways which in turn may be the result of the aforementioned narrative.

Being black is one thing, but being black AND a woman is a double whammy for twice as much discrimination, sexism and racism. I've always known and been very aware of the lack of empathy Black women get when something bad and or traumatic happens in comparison to when something bad and or traumatic things happen to Black men. I am not in any way trying to dismantle the struggles of Black men but take Megan Thee Stallion for example. She was labelled as 'motivational' for being traumatised about getting shot yet Will Smith and Kanye West were approached with more compassion, love and light. Take from that what you will but I find it very telling.

I know niggas be going through it but it shouldn't enable a disregard to Black women and our capacity to be human beings and shouldn't disregard the fact that we too also want compassion, love, light and acknowledgement.

Colourism, Transphobia, covert and overt racism, who is backing us? We're not all superheroes and some of us can't get through shit alone.

Oluwatoyin Salau, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, Merci Mack, Brayla Stone. All Black. All women.

#SayHerName

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