Myth of The Strong Black Woman

The Myth of The Strong Black Woman

There is a saying that I hear a lot describing the Black woman. She is described as “strong.” She has weathered many storms from the time she was forcefully taken from the Motherland to the time she set foot on American soil. She was abused by the master and when allegedly freed and given freedoms she continued to be mistreated by society. Not able to initially raise her own children was one of the first wrongdoings. Because of her station in life, she raised the master’s children while only leaving remnants of energy she had left for her own family. Through it all she persevered, did what she needed to do and managed to raise decent children, and take care of her spouse and family as best she could. Fast forward, now I will replace the word “strong” with the word “resilient.” The word resilient is defined as “a person who is able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult situations.” We live in a society that to this day still demeans and disrespects Black women. When Black women speak up for themselves they are labeled as argumentative and “drama filled.” Who will stand up for Black women if they do not stand up for themselves? Black women constantly struggle to be seen and to be heard. Sometimes Black women are viewed by this society as “less than beautiful” . What type of distorted view of beauty considers these ebony queens as less than? From the curl to the kink of the hair to the bronze to the ebony of the skin that glistens in the sunlight can they not be perceived as beautiful? What a magnificent creation of the universe are Black women. They continue to soar and support their loved ones despite constant bemeaning and underestimations. Right here, right now I am officially replacing “strong Black women” with” resilient Black women.” Black women have put up with a lot of crap over the years. I am standing up and recognizing them as the confident, caring, compassionate individuals they are and always have been. They embody all that is good in our communities today. They are the fuel that propels our communities to higher ground. Real, relevant, remarkable, resilient-that is what you are. My homage to you and all women of color is this article. I hope that you find it worthy. My queens you deserve all of the aforementioned kind words and many more. The struggle is real. Strut your stuff, live your life unapologetically, stand in your grandeur for you are and always will be “awesome.” Peace and love.

Marvin Dixon, Founder
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