I worry that embracing magic may crowd the precious space in our arms that we should reserve for embracing our humanity. Internalizing the myth of the superhuman black woman does not benefit our health or our politics. The trope of the superhuman black woman can leave us less likely to seek help in the areas of our lives where we need it and demand change where change is necessary. In her research, Melissa Harris-Perry found that black women who positively identified with the notion of the strong black woman were less likely to work for the structural, institutional changes necessary to lessen our extraordinary burden. The evidence leads to the conclusion that for black women, racism has a unique, cascading effect that can be passed on through generations as unborn fetuses exposed to high cortisol in vitro can result in low birth weight babies entering the world with their own health challenges.
Prolonged elevated cortisol levels can bring on a host of health problems including cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Every instance of racism black people have experienced, will experience and expect to experience potentially elevates cortisol - the fight-or-flight hormone. Embracing the myth of superhuman strength negatively impacts our physical and psychological health.įairly recently, scientists have come to understand that racism lives in the body. Some black women have embraced the notion of the strong black woman, but our "strength" has led us to refuse access to social services when we need it and help from family and friends when offered, and generally to insist on shouldering burdens on our own. University of Maryland Sociology Professor Patricia Hill Collins identifies strength as a defining characteristic in at least one of the negative, persistent, stereotypical and controlling images of black women dating back to slavery that were meant to normalize black women's oppression. But my concern is that the magical black woman can function more like a myth similar to the myth of the "strong black woman," and may not do us much good at all unless we are careful to remind ourselves and others that we are indeed real. We use it to support one other and explain how we manage to endure the daily struggle and accomplish as much as we do. "Black girl magic" describes that awesome ability black women have to hold our heads high in a world that wants us to hang them low. We can and will do better for you." He ended his speech with, "Just because we're magic, doesn't mean we're not real."
He dedicated the award to others who fight against racism, and he gave a special mention to black women, "who have spent their lifetimes dedicated to nurturing everyone before themselves. Addressing black people and the racial oppression we live under, he referenced historical inequality, whiteness, the lives lost to police violence and cultural appropriation. Jesse Williams packed a lot into his inspiring, political acceptance speech upon receiving the BET Humanitarian Award last week.
0 kommentar(er)
