Does My Blackness Offend You? Too Bad.

[ismnotwasm]

(A succinct and true blog post)

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed a revitalization in Black Pride. What’s even more refreshing is the validation of women of color. Black Girls ROCK! and My Black Is Beautiful are just two of many organizations and movements aimed to give the experiences of Black women a fighting chance against Eurocentrism.

If you scroll around Tumblr, YouTube, or Twitter, you’ll be amazed at the unbendable pride of our sisters. Natural hair aficionados eagerly share their curl pattern secrets to women who’ve been told chemically processed hair is the only way to achieve true beauty. Plus-size women of color provide flattering wardrobe alternatives to those who rarely see their body types reflected in seasonal lookbooks. LGBTQIA+ folks courageously share their experiences in the blossoming world of indie film, captivating audiences worldwide with raw stories of strength.

This is so necessary, considering how the mainstream media eagerly belittles and mistreats the cultures of people from the African Diaspora. Instead of relying on limited representations of the greatly desired “American Dream,” we are now seeing an influx of diversity across all gender, racial, and ethnic spectrums.

But with any change comes an inevitable pushback. Nowadays, there is a far-reaching hesitance towards expressions of Black Pride. Black Pride is either categorized as divisive, militant, or—as of recently—“racist”. Let me break it down really quick: Since Whiteness has been used to debase and malign other cultures, people attribute racial/ethnic pride as an exclusive practice when in reality, its main focus centers on providing a counterstory to negative expectations surrounding those experiences.

Remember, Blackness is only defined as dangerous because Whiteness has been the only lauded model for everything.

Last time I checked, Blackness hasn’t been used to define other experiences.

Read more: http://www.forharriet.com/2015/05/does-my-blackness-offend-you-too-bad.html#ixzz3Z3Srz9cQ

[marym625]

1. K&R!

[sheshe2]

2. KnR~

Hell, best can do. Gotta be up for work in a few hours.

[Novara]

3. What I've always admired about black women....

....is their frankness. And realness. Sisters tell you when something's up. I wish I had that much courage. I'm the one who is always concerned with how others react (although I'm working hard at overcoming it. Working really hard).

[brer cat]

4. Good article, ism.

This part rang so true to me:

"What's clear is that regardless of how I showcase my Blackness, we are expected to interact with our identity to make talks of race and oppression more digestible for people who are uncomfortable."

If we whites still require people of color to suppress their very essence to make us more "comfortable" then we have not moved at all beyond white supremacy.