Ain’t I A Woman?: Insecurities of a Young Black Woman

During my matriculation and even in my early years of living, I have become painstakingly made aware of my role in white America. The caretaker, the “vanquisher of fires,” the strong-Black-woman, the one who takes everyone’s plight and still has to solve her own. Who helps the Black woman? Who cares for the Black woman? It is true when Malcolm X said, “the Black woman is the most disrespected and neglected woman in America.”
The burning reminder of who I am in America can be traced back as early as Black women stereotypes that are forever submerged in society’s subconscious: the Mammy, the Jezebel, the “welfare queen”, and so forth. We are never seen as individuals with our backgrounds, thoughts, and upbringing. Instead, we are thrown into the fire as young as can be to stay in the docile nature that white patriarchy has reinforced and hardened into the “Angry Black Woman” to protect ourselves from the world and even our community.
I experienced colorism for the first time in a long time recently, as I consistently block out any and every ignorant comment. It put me back into the same space as the younger me, who felt helpless at the words of her community and expected to fall in line with what society felt about her…To play her role. Who protects these young Black girls from the harm of her own? Who expects these young Black girls to grow up well-rounded and bright when the world wants to tear them down because it’s easier than to heal the heart within? These young Black girls grow up to be Black women angry at the world, cold, insecure, bitter, and unloved.
Tell these Black girls that they’re loved. Tell them that they’re cherished for everything they provide and don’t give away easily. Educate yourself on matters that are seemingly different from yours. Break the cycle even if it hurts your upbringing and what you thought you knew. You take and violate from women you expect to be great mothers and women in society and think we won’t return for vengeance. God bless whoever stands in the way of a sad and torn Black woman cause she’s got fire beneath her feet and passion in her heart.