Loving Black Women in Practice — not Theory

<![CDATA[<blockquote></blockquote><p style="text-align:auto">Since the beginning of time, Black women have remained the lifeblood of the world. Much like the Christian recount of creation. Though, women today bear the consequences of the actions of men but are considered the antagonist. Too often the value of Black women is reduced to “strength” as a way to admire the ability of Black women to stay afloat amidst oppression without actually challenging the oppression. The infatuation with Black women’s strength finds roots in the creation of modern gynecology. Scientist, J. Marion Sims, conducted many painful experiments on Black women without the use of anesthesia to test Black women’s “strength”. In this contemporary moment, whether it’s the alarming murder rates of Black transwomen or the horrific rates of sexual and domestic violence, Black women are grossly neglected, dangerously unprotected, and subject to complex forms of oppression at the hands of those they consistently care for.</p><p style="text-align:auto"></p><p style="text-align:auto">Today, Black women face many of the same challenges to self-determination as they did during the height of the mid-1900s feminist and womanist movements. To be fair, little has changed in the fight for freedom and social justice at-large. Whatever has changed, however, is not removed from the impact of Black women’s collective voice and power. Without Black women, this world — in so many ways — could not exist.</p><p style="text-align:auto">n</p><figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_ea79e57f8761450bacf30e47be269c92~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_3744,h_5616,al_c,q_80/file.png" width="3744" height="5616" title="Image"></figure><p style="text-align:auto"></p><p style="text-align:auto">On this day and everyday, we take the time to honor, admire, and deeply love all that is the history, lives, and impact of Black women. More than honor, we must give life to this love in practice. <strong>Loving Black women in practice means:</strong> <em>dismantling patriarchy, sexism, and misogynoir in all forms (personal, structural, institutional); means showing up in support of; means reproductive justice; means using language that empowers and doesn’t disparage; means choice; means consent; means finding and using whatever redeemable quality that exists within us(men) to do the necessary work of feminism and ending gendered oppression for all.</em></p><p style="text-align:auto">Any other love is unworthy.</p>]]>