This blog is designed to delay into different aspects and uncover one’s self, one’s history, one’s pride, one’s future and oddly enough: one’s black and what it means to each of them.
Black can be associated with power, fear, mystery elegance, formality, death, aggression, rebellion, and sophistication. Regardless of the way, shape, or form, one can view these as part of the culmination of “black.” In fact, even from a color perspective, black is not only a necessity for all other colors to have depth and hue variation but also is the absence of color. Seemingly, one cannot exist without the other. It’s quite the commodore, yet the color itself is still associated with mystery and the unknown.
Being black is power, but let’s add being a woman to the factor as well. Women and girls also recalled being told that they were disrespecting authority for asking questions in schools. Black girls were often punished for vague things like “having an attitude” or “defiance.”
Starting in childhood, black girls are seen as “sassy,” or accused of having attitude problems, perceptions often rooted in stereotypes of the “angry black woman.” Taken together, these presumptions lead to black girls being held to a different standard and facing punishments for not fitting a specific definition. Yet, our style and culture are often “jacked.”
Us as black women portray strength and boundless beauty. From our natural hair, full lips, and black skin display an epitome of elegance that gets overlooked. Yet, our unique style is always “swagger jacked.” Black women have an intangible swag that just can’t be taught or bought. From the runway to the school campus to the beauty shop, we rock our individuality with style and finesse. Our black is our own definition, and this month will focus on black women’s skin, beauty, and shade. And will speak on how society, even within our own race, will make our different shades of black an issue.