Wow I am just so overwhelmed and happy to belong to this generation of black women that are changing the game of our world in an obvious and loud way. The awakening that I have hoped for a very long time now is happening right in front of my eyes and life so I want to say Hurray!
Art by Angela Walker
So this article or message applies also to all women really, but I am directing and dedicating it particularly to us girls/ women of the African Diaspora. I am writing this with the aim to further heal our collective trauma as black women and because I know for sure that we are those who have been and still are statistically most robbed of our opportunities, ideas, intellects ,creative resources and many other chances here in life. Mostly due to subconscious systematic discrimination in the the western societies and the minds of even the ones with best intentions for us.
Despite the fact that this region of the world is proclaimed to be where opportunities are always available to all in a democratic fashion, reality shows that many black females still fight against all sorts of hidden racism out there. Black women are also the ones facing most discrimination openly in many parts of the world and sadly sometimes even in our own families. Not necessarily deliberately but because this is the way some of our forefathers and mothers have been conditioned by those ruling our world today. They too are victims of their forefathers bigotry. Namely the old colonialist and their privilege advantaged allies.
But I am not going to dive in back to history with intentions to get us sad, angry and cry now. I simply just want us to value this rich history our people left us. It is a true story with facts and heros/heroines. It is also a clear evidence of what we have survived as a race and as a continent and still are. Because they, the rulers or the mainstream world are not going to value this story as much as us. I want us to respect our heroes and heroines because they, those rulers who contributed to their suffering are not going to. If they did then they would have changed the world and its story long time ago. But they have forgotten and wont wake up until we do. Otherwise how can you explain the fact that we do not see alot of published books, stories and films about our peoples struggle and heroism?
Art by Izabella Dahlinke
I would so much like to see and learn more of their stories and take part of their legacy on a selection of mainstream media available for my children too. But they are shunned in favor of stories depicting the white body assimilating as heroes and with black features instead ironically. Please understand I am not writing this to spread hate towards anyone. Actually it is because I care about the whole community that i wanted to write this piece. Yes they can’t do anything about all of this injustice by themselves even if they want to But together we can all do something. My aim with this article is to contribute to the ongoing healing process among us all ultimately. Especially since I understand now that it should start within and among us first and foremost. We can and should free our mind from fear, hate, failure and and all other limitations by daring to start claiming our rights to own and believing in ourselves and our dreams
I want us to want more, to dream more, to dare create more, to dare fail more, to develop and earn more, to structure paths for wealth more, and care about each other more than we are settling for I guess. For our daughters sakes so they to can inherit and give more to their generation, in order for them not to get robbed of valuable opportunities too. We have to break the cycle by ourselves FOR ourselves first in order for all others to stop taking us and our sisters for granted. As I mentioned previously we of all people are doing the hardest work of upholding this world not only through hard work but also through our unique looks, creativities, by being ourselves and expressing our lives and emotions. Are we not running the world then? Yes we are. But we also need to learn how to earn our part of power in the world too
So the only simple thing left for us to adjust in our consciousness is to realise our own value and hold firm to that against all hells storms. Because no one will do that for us mostly due to ignorance. And how can we blame ignorant people when
they don’t know the consequences of their actions may it be them or us. So by helping ourselves we can help them heal from their ignorance too. What is good for one black woman is good for all black women and what is good for all black women is good for all women of all colors in our society and our world. It balances and harmonizes us all. So keep glowing, caring, valuing, supporting and loving us by really, truly and unconditionally loving you first.