I'm so damned tired of being the new bullseye. Having to block blows, and bats, and kicks and knifings. I won't even name that bullshit "scientific" article posted on Psychology Today's website. Then the French IMF chair who thought nothing of violating an African immigrant and all the other sorted news stories that have dominated the airwaves about us for the last 3 or so years. It is all a mind game. If they can destabilize us with insecurity and self-doubt maybe we won't run for office, start a business or get another degree. Or if we act like a fool on VH1's Sunday night lineup, then the white woman next to you at work on Monday morning won't see you as competition for that new promotion. Worse, you'll believe that bullshit they show is who you actually are yourself.
We need to de-plug from all media that portrays us as lowly, ignorant, hypersexual buffoons. And by all means, we need to stay away from the news stories that amp up the low marriage rates in our community and how all the brothers want white, asian and latina women or are gay. It's all a shell game. Get you thinking and acting out of anxiety and dispair. I have to admit that science magazine's article caught me on the chin. I was totally shocked and caught off guard by how far people will go to make you feel low. Beauty is always subjective, never objective. But it's all in the effort to mess with your head and paralyze us with insecurity and self-defeat so that we won't be able to compete for the shrinking global resources. We'll be one less group fighting for the narrowing slices of pie. Plus, there's a comfort in seeing black women in particular as cultural stereotypes and victims. Because we are so damned strong and powerful many can only handle us if we're deemed stupid or weak. But most importantly for us, we can't buy into the hype. What is at stake is your mind, and you can't let anybody f*ck with that.
You know I really believe the world is scared shitless to have a fly, elegant, educated and smart black woman as the first lady of the free world and I think that's where all this news (and it's timing) has derived from. It's so off-putting to so much of the world, who still want to believe we're servile, subservient slaves, that we're not supposed to rock. And rock hard I will. I will rock hard for my grandmother who had to drink at "colored" water fountains and get paid $3 per week for 6 days of hard labor working for a white family. For all my sisters who can't pick their beautiful brown chins up, I will work harder and rock harder for you. For all of us.
