Though it’s tomorrow, because I don’t post on Saturday’s, I want to go ahead and say…HAPPY JUNETEENTH!
If you’re not aware of what Juneteenth is, I have a blog post titled Juneteenth with the definition. I also advise you to Google for a more full in-depth definition and the history behind it. As I was wondering what I would post on my blog to celebrate Juneteenth, it hit me that there’s no better way than to share what I love about being black…and even more so…a black woman!
Our versatility.
Black women are so versatile it’s insane! We can switch it up in an instant and continue to serve every single time. When I say our versatility, it does mean multiple things, but I mean our hair especially. The way we’re able to switch up our hair and do so many different things with it is astounding. You will see a black woman in the morning and see her again later that night and she could look like a totally different woman. We are prepared for any event, occasion, or season and I love that for us! From locs, to wigs, to afro’s…we carry each and every style and give it to you every single time!
Our community.
I don’t think there’s a community like the black community in general, but specifically the black women community. I, personally, love hyping up my fellow black sisters and I love when I see other black women doing the same thing. One thing we all understand is that there is no one that is going to hype us up or support us like we are. This world in general is not kind to black women in multiple ways…just look at the stats of how much black women get paid compared to anyone else or death rates or anything honestly. So, we have to support each other and we do it well. I love this for the young black girls because they’ll see a black woman being there for them when no one else is, and they’ll grow up doing the same and keeping the community strong. Of course, there are some women who are more negative in the bunch and actually choose to tear other black women down. No group is perfect but the amount of hate within the group is small compared to the love.
Our creativity.
We, as black women, are so damn creative! I think the pandemic alone has shown people how creative and innovative black women really are. I truly don’t think there’s anything we can’t do, and if there is, give us a day and we’ll have it or something even better! It doesn’t matter if we’re creating a new dish, a dance, an outfit from scratch…whatever it is just know it’s going to be amazing. We learn to take what we have and make something out of it!
Our power.
I love our power and our strength, but also I think those words are abused when it comes to how people use that towards us. As black women, we’re treated as though we’re supposed to carry the world on our shoulders. Yet, we’re supposed to take the hate that we also get at the same time. I think in the beginning we were (not speaking for every black woman) letting this narrative carry on and we just took it. Now? We’re not taking that anymore. We’re letting people know that just because we have that power within us, it doesn’t mean you can put everything on our shoulders. We are not your scapegoats. There’s power in our voices and we demand to be heard.
Our boss vibes.
Listen, when we work…we work! Ever since I’ve started following other black woman entrepreneurs, my life has been given! Black women are often imitated, but not as often appreciated. We work hard on our businesses and we remain looking good doing it! Being a parent isn’t something I want for myself, but I’m so amazed at black women who are entrepreneurs AND mothers. The boss vibes are immaculate and I look up to those women because I want that drive for myself. When it comes to being successful in life, the world likes to make it seem as if the odds are stacked against us as black women. I think we’ve shown in our past history and our present that we not only make the odds work for us, but we take them to the bank to cash our checks!
Our hearts.
I think a lot of us in the community have such big hearts. I’ve seen comments here and there about this, and I agree that we show love to everyone but not everyone shows love to us. When it comes to being inclusive, I often see where we make spaces for everyone without thought. Yet, for there to be a space for us, we have to make our own. I think this also makes it seem as if people can use us, but that goes back to what I said about our power. It’s almost like a trend to make us look like we’re the “bad guy” but in reality, we just want to live life like everyone else.
Our overall beauty.
I had to save this one for last because it’s my favorite reason! I love our overall beauty! I love our skin in general as black people and how it goes from the darkest of shades to the lightest of shades. I love this natural glow that we often have and the features that we have as black women/people. I think that when a black woman enters a space, people can’t help but stop and stare. Growing up, social media tells us not to love our features, but there’s more representation as new generations form. As black women, we’re learning to love what we have. There’s still so much to work on with that, but I see black women embrace their features more and more (including myself) and I love that for us!
I love being a black woman and I’m so proud of being part of the black community. We’ve been through it all and continue to go through it all, but we still push through to make a way for ourselves. We no longer have to wait for someone to open the door for us…now we’re kicking doors down!
As Juneteenth is becoming more known and has now been made recognized as a holiday, I ask for anyone reading this who isn’t black to remain respectful. This isn’t a day to wear some cheap Amazon Juneteenth shirt or take this as an opportunity to give discounts for your own personal gain. This is the time to really show/continue showing how much of an ally you are of the black community.
Have a happy Juneteenth!
Happy Juneteenth my lovely. Such powerful words as always xx
Thank you so much love! I always love seeing your comments ♥