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< | Ideologies within the Black community, argued by some to be mere words, directly tie into the lives of Black women. Many outside sentiments can make light of "unwanted commentary" by reducing it to "you should not care what they think." Or, more generally, "Black women, these common experiences of colorism and featurism, these degrading moments are merely filled words. How can you possibly, you insignificant creatures, hold on to such simple words?" But the question is, are these mere words or do they come from somewhere? Additionally, where do they go after being such words? Words do have power because they call out deeper truths. We see this when Black is called the n-word. It escapes to the psyche, even implicitly. Further, these words are accompanied by actions that can hurt. | | | | |
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< | I can think of the Black Panther Party's issues with sexual violence. Kathleen Cleaver said that "the Black men would let it be known that they thought white women was beautiful and they say they didn't want any ugly black woman with short hair." This, if anything, demonstrates an old problem of self-hatred within the Black community, of the men degrading their women, but again, these are only words, Right? Or did it harken to a deeper issue of patriarchy? Of sexual violence? In objectifying and deeming value to women by their shade? The color hierarchy says, and this rang true in the book 'Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston, you are valued by your proximity to whiteness. This isn't a value demanded by mere words, but supported by toxic community action. Colorism and texturism have tangible real-world manifestations. It tells Black women whoever is lighter will get the job. It tells Black women, they must apologize if their hair is short from forcing perms and straighteners or not a loose 2c curl. An issue voiced with the Crown Act. It tells Black women to be wary of community because if something happens in the community, be it sexual violence or aggression, you will not be the ones supported. Black women's lives are not valued unless they are an object of desirability. | >
> | Black Tongues Can Lick, Too
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< | Which voices go heard in this community? Which historians do we keep note of? One may ask themself, "Well, I know of these Black women and it is important to not let that stop you," but the framing of the question is not one to ask Black women to look past. The point is, while an individual may know of Black women who influence them, that is not the case within the community. We are powerful creatures, yes, but in explaining these systems we gain clarity. We notice patterns. Black women's work goes unrecognized. Often, Black men get praise for their thoughts of community all while proving to be hypocritical in reality. The common idea of unity in our community works in a main way: to support the men and burden the women. A very gendered idea as well. Much of the work in our communities thrive off the back of women's labor. Looking at my experiences in education (Columbia and Connecticut College), Black women make up most of the boards of leadership, exert most of the work for community engagement, and without them, there would not be organizations for our community members. Lived experiences are a common theme in Black feminist literature. Patricia Hill Collins, Black feminist theorist, voiced so many of my lived experiences in "Black Feminist Thought." Collins told me that Black women would need to eventually re-evaluate our muling, to which I agree. | >
> | As Black women, we must use our words to engage in radical sisterhood. We must create conscious-raising spaces that share our experiences and educate ourselves in the global struggle against misogynoir. Ideologies within the Black community, argued by some to be mere words, directly tie into the lives of Black women. Words call out deeper truths. We see this when Black is called the n-word. It escapes to the psyche, even implicitly. Through words and expression, Black women can carve a space for coalition-building in the face of exclusion and ultimately go where we are loved and desired, knowing we cherish, love, and value one another. | | | | |
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< | Black women constantly labor for others will little benefit to themselves. We must labor for ourselves and turn words, meant to oppress us and lower our worth, into a mode of radical change. As Black women, we must use our words to engage in radical sisterhood. We must create conscious-raising spaces that share our experiences and educate ourselves in the global struggle against misogynoir. These spaces could lead to funding grants for Black women in need, releasing our incarcerated sisters and mothers, storytelling, applying for leadership, assisting others in community activism, creating food banks, and sharing what resources we may have for the collective, as our foremothers did for us. | >
> | Looking at my experiences in education (Columbia and Connecticut College), Black women make up most of the boards of leadership, exert most of the work for community engagement, and without them, there would not be organizations for our community members. Futhermore, note which voices are heard in the Black community. Which historians do we keep note of? Who do we call leaders The common idea of unity in our community works in a main way: to support the men and burden the women. One may tell themself: "Well, I know of these Black women and it is important to not let that stop you," but the issues Black women face are not one to look past. Often, Black men get praise for their thoughts of community all while proving to be hypocritical in reality while Black women constantly labor for others with little benefit to themselves. We must labor for ourselves and turn words, meant to oppress us and lower our worth, into a mode of radical change. Black women must organize groups and craft a community that deconstructs notions of internalized white supremacy. Coalition spaces could lead to funding grants for Black women in need, releasing our incarcerated sisters and mothers, storytelling, applying for leadership, assisting others in community activism, creating food banks, and sharing what resources we may have for the collective, as our foremothers did for us. | | | | |
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< | Secondly, we must create nonprofits for Black women to engage in art and community leadership. In my year traveling with the Watson Fellowship, I spoke with a variety of Black femme artists: pole dancers, drag queens, aerialists, clowns, dominatrices, rappers, seamstresses, poets, painters, and more. I found that Black women, in expressing themselves through art, also communicated ideas of liberation. Even at the behest of others, we must take time to express ourselves as we can further learn how to navigate this world by understanding our common hardships and finding ways to move forward. As art has also been a method of oppression, Black women actively sharing their art will allow our psyche respite, providing images and feelings of affirmation through feminist artwork. This should not be difficult, as Black women are already artists, constantly imagining ways of centering themselves in the world. Organizing book clubs, funding women-based art programs, and supporting Black female artists will also be the communal goal of Black feminist expression. | >
> | While it is important to address how we can use words towards radical sisterhood, what can we do concretely to avoid internalizing misogynoir with constant beratement through words? Many outside sentiments can make light of "unwanted commentary" by reducing it to "you should not care what they think." Or, more generally, "Black women, these common experiences of colorism and featurism, these degrading moments are merely filled words. How can you possibly, you insignificant creatures, hold on to such simple words?" Examining the Black Panther Party's issues with sexual violence, Kathleen Cleaver said that "the Black men would let it be known that they thought white women was beautiful and they say they didn't want any ugly black woman with short hair." An old problem of self-hatred lives within the Black community through these words, but how can we dismantle deeper issues of patriarchy? Of sexual violence? | | | | |
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< | To conclude, we must abandon gender norms and the relegation of Black femmes to the sidelines. We must organize groups and craft a community that deconstructs notions of internalized white supremacy. We must hold others accountable and ultimately go where we are loved and desired, knowing we cherish, love, and value one another. | >
> | One way is for Black women to use artistic expresison as activism. Internalized values of white supremacy, such as colorism and texturism, have tangible real-world manifestations and communicate the exclusion of Black women in a global society. The color hierarchy says, and this rang true in the book 'Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston, Black women are valued by their proximity to whiteness. It tells Black women whoever is lighter will get the job, that they must apologize if their hair is short from forcing perms and straighteners or for not having a loose 2c curl, an issue voiced with the Crown Act, and to be wary of community because if something happens in the community, be it sexual violence or aggression, you will not be the ones supported. In my year traveling with the Watson Fellowship, I spoke with a variety of Black femme artists who defied misogynoir ideology: pole dancers, drag queens, aerialists, clowns, dominatrices, rappers, seamstresses, poets, painters, and more. I found that Black women, in expressing themselves through art, also communicated ideas of liberation. Sharing lived experiences are a common theme in Black feminist literature. Patricia Hill Collins, a Black feminist theorist, voiced so many of my lived experiences in "Black Feminist Thought." Collins told me that Black women would need to eventually re-evaluate our muling and share our voices, to which I agree.
As art has also been a method of oppression, Black women actively sharing their art will allow our psyche respite, providing images and feelings of affirmation through feminist artwork. This should not be difficult, as Black women are already artists, constantly imagining ways of centering themselves in the world. Organizing book clubs, funding women-based art programs, and supporting Black female artists will also be the communal goal of Black feminist expression. Black women, consistently, are told to be invisible, as Black women's lives are not valued unless they are an object of desirability. This isn't a value demanded by mere words, but supported by toxic community action. Even at the behest of others, we must take time to express ourselves as we can further learn how to navigate this world by understanding our common hardships and finding ways to move forward. | | | "Queen." | | | "Chin up, we got work to do" | |
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This draft valuably reflects the process by which you thought your idea through. The reader benefits more from a different structure, I think, so the next round of improvement would come from that effort. The ideas that the essay develops, that it's ultimately about, should be shown to the reader up front, so she can understand the stakes from the outset. If it should take 130 words to explain why words matter—which I'm not sure it is—they should not be the first 130 words.
Two ideas that arise at opposite ends of the present draft would probably in the reader's most productive structure fall into dialogue.
Not since Joan Mondale made increasing public support for the arts the project of "the Vice-President's wife" half a century ago has any figure of real or symbolic prominence in American politics presented arts policy as serious policy. Perhaps what begins here in the particular set of needs to which you are so well attuned might also develop secondarily its generalist consequences, around which other coaliion-building is possible. Underpinning the peoples' creative lives with public resources shared through grass roots non-profit organizations is a pillar of democracy. All sorts of politically-aware people can agree on that, regardless of the communities they call their own. Where I come from, "ideologically" as we may say, it is not surprising that in the lives of all our different parts of the society, the free development of each is the free development of all.
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