Ain't I a Woman w/Ambition
BY NAJE BADU LOVE
"You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies... You may tread me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I'll rise." - Maya Angelou.
I want to touch upon a topic I believe may strike sensitive nerves within the African-American community, depending on which side of the gender spectrum you fall. The purpose is really to speak truth to power and to do so unapologetically while at the same time ensuring no one is harmed in the process. I aspire to study, learn, observe and hopefully spark discussions that bring about new perspectives and insights that may or may not have been considered before this moment. This requires that I position myself to expand my mind, heart, and spirit, or perhaps, even discard some of the beliefs I've unconsciously subscribed to for the better of my life. My art, writing projects, and podcasts I produce are channels I use to encourage people to do the same. After all, the point of our lives is to serve others in ways that enable everyone to leave the world better than when we arrived in this physical realm. Thus, both learning and unlearning ideologies and belief systems that no longer support our aspiration to rise to new heights gives way to broadening how we experience life and the world in which we live. From where I am sitting, it's the only true path to creating the much-needed healing our society craves.
Before I expound on the touchy subject I mentioned a moment ago, I should preface it by sharing from where my thoughts stemmed and what has compelled me to express them in an article. I am concurrently reading two books penned by the author, professor, feminist, and social activist, Bell Hooks, titled Ain't I a Woman and All About Love. The latter is a great work centered on how our varying understanding of love is the root cause of many of the struggles we experience in relationships with people and the world. Ain't I a Woman ( the cornerstone of this article) is a provocative work of feminist scholarship that examines the effect of racism and sexism on Black women. In the past decade, we have seen an influx of powerful demonstrations of resilience and progress of the Black woman. We've witnessed countless examples of women claiming their independence and competence, all the while finding the courage to start demanding well-deserved respect and equity. Yet, and still, we maintain the lowest social status, which communicates how much society deems Black women as unworthy of uplift, protection, and, at the very least, respect. In the words of Malcolm X. "The Black woman is the most neglected person in America is the black woman." Considering our experiencing worst conditions concerning income, mental health, and maternal care than any other group in American society, I'd have to say that Malcolm's words still resonate today. Bell Hooks argues that this unfortunate truth is primarily the result of the horrific displays of racism and sexism endured during slavery. However, the most painful aspect of this reality is that Black women frequently remain unsupported and unprotected not just by white society but also by the men within our community. More about this later.
What I found to be most interesting about the timing of my coming into possession of Ain't I a Woman is a recent conversation I had with a very good friend of mine about how Black women are making some remarkable strides. And while such awareness was applauded, there were a few poignant questions that arose during the height of our conversations:
- Suppose the reality is that we maintain the lowest social status and experience worst conditions than any other group existing in this white-male patriarchal society. How is it that there is exponential advancement in areas of business, education, professional development, and entrepreneurship among Black women today?
- While we have witnessed the remarkable unfolding of the Black women proudly celebrating our beauty, power, and resilience over the past few years, one has to ask why so many of us are excelling despite carrying the burden of navigating through the negative perceptions and isms centered on race, gender, culture, and class.
As the banter of reasoning (which I will explore in just a moment) between my friend and I continued, we realized that it was simply impossible to ignore the proverbial elephant that had clumsily made its way into the conversation:
- If the statistics about the rise of progressive Black women are valid, what then does this say about the plight of our male counterparts?
Before we continue, as the founder of TheRhyze!, I only subscribe to lifting up everyone, irrespective of race, gender, class, or creed. By no means am I Black male-bashing. I merely want to have an honest conversation that can potentially empower someone or cause a shift that can significantly alter the trajectory of someone's life. However, I also recognize that sometimes the quest for truth and change will shed light on realities that may or may not be so easy to stomach. In that light, we have to be honest as a community about not only the hostile perception society maintains of Black men but also the unfortunate truth that it has been somewhat challenging to observe how Black women's thirst for success is primarily due to the lived experience of what others perceive of Black men.
In the previous segment, I mentioned that during a conversation I had with a friend regarding this topic, a very poignant inquiry was made. Now, though Black women are excelling in phenomenal proportions to any other group of people in America, there is quite a bit to be said regarding the success disparity in education and business. And that is, "if the statistics about the rise of progressive Black women are valid, what does this say about the plight of our male counterparts?
My response to the inquiry was two-fold:
- The underlying foundation of a Black woman's desire to persevere despite circumstances and limitations that were designed to disempower African Americans
- The systemic conditioning of mental, emotional, and physical oppression makes it hard to surmount limitations and achieve success.
In chapter two of Bell Hook's book, Ain't I a Woman, she discusses the devaluation of Black womanhood. This chapter heightened my awareness of why Black women are the most depreciated human beings on this planet. So let's take a moment to explore the three main topics covered in that chapter: sexuality, stereotypes, and matriarchy. Trust me; all three topics contribute to answering the three previous inquiries concerning the inarguable and indelible strides being made by Black omen today.
Sexuality:
Repulsion of uninhibited sexuality engrained in the foundation of American culture perpetuated the idea that Black women, the lowest of the low in the eyes of white men, could become the source of sexual fulfillment. And because Black women were not considered whole human beings, fulfilling their sexual appetite outside marriage would not threaten their morale. It was their way of doing the wrong thing, the right way. In that regard, "Black women were vulnerable to all kinds of sexual, psychological, and physical abuse without any provision for their protection from white or black society," states Hooks. In that same vein, the white male's sexual objectification of Black women compelled Black men to cave into their temptation to return the favor by abandoning (the opposite of protecting) the Black female for a taste of the White woman.
All of this plays into why there seems to be such disdain Black men and women have when one or the other enters a relationship outside of their culture and race. The excuse Black men use for dating people of different cultures is that 1) Black women are not as sexually free as their White counterparts, and 2) Black women are problematic, while White women are more submissive. This sends a blatant message to Black women that they are unworthy of being treated equitably. For Black women, the sense of abandonment is relived repeatedly when we see our Black men with women who do not look like them.
Myths and Stereotypes:
On that note, let's explore the number of stereotypes and perceptions of people of color maintained by American society and perpetuated throughout the world. Remember, these stereotypes may be neither true nor false depending on who and where you are in life.
(This is an excerpt from one of Naje's upcoming book projects titled, Risen: An Anthology)
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Naje Badu Love is the author of Let Go of Your But! A Woman’s Guide to Loving Herself to Full Potential and Possibility (purchase here). As an artist and illustrator, Naje founded Journal Up! (an organization designed to support people in their quest for true potential through journaling). to align her passion for writing, journaling and illustration as a means of connecting with and inspiring people around the globe. You are invited to reach out to her via Facebook and LinkedIn by following the social media details below:
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