My Love Letter to Black Women

A love letter to black women:

Dear Black woman,

Your beauty has not been recognized. Instead, is has been scorned, hated, misrepresented. Dipped in gold, chocolate, caramel, and cinnamon, its uniqueness and variation has become too complex to be understood. It was this beauty that was misused by outsiders and fought for by our brothers only to be neglected by them years later.

It was this beauty and appearance that birthed a nation. Initially, you didn’t ask to be a mother. Motherhood chose us. Through rape and violence of the outsider, motherhood became the next step. So, you embraced and made it your own until our children were taken away from you forever because of the burden of slavery. Like Harriet Jacobs who hid in a tight area away from her children to secure their freedom, black slave motherhood implied sacrifices for liberation, even your own children.

Even today, black motherhood is difficult. You are by yourself raising multiple kids and being responsible for their life. Let me repeat, YOU ARE ALONE doing this. That alone speaks volumes to your strength and tenacity.

You come in all shapes and sizes. But, it is your thick thighs and wide hips that make your round figure one to be envied and celebrated. The same figure that encompasses the strength and beauty of Serena Williams is common in all of you. But just like Serena Williams, you have learned that your figure is not common to others. So, it is disrespected and despised. It is also appropriated, ironically.

Your love has been rejected and taken for granted. You have been abused, cheated on, and deeply hurt. But amid all of that, you continue to love as if no one has wronged you. Your love has become, in essence, unconditional. It has persisted so many different circumstances.

You have shaped pop culture. You are the maker of pop culture. Trends, hashtags, memes, music, and stories are all established by you. Like Oprah Winfrey, you have dominated the media industry and have blazed paths that were unfathomable. Like Beyonce, you have become a global phenomenon in which everything you touch turns to gold. Like Rihanna, your unapologetic fierceness and edginess have made you a force to be reckoned with. But just like them, your contributions to pop culture go unrecognized and unappreciated.

You have put men into space, set slaves free, ran the nation, won Olympic gold, been CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, desegregated schools, and broken barriers that no one knew you would cross.

But you knew. You knew how powerful you were since birth. You knew the power of your #blackgirlmagic . You knew you would survive the pain. And although your love has been neglected by many, even black men, just remember that your are loved. I love you, sis.

Love,

Sis