A Black Man's Perspective on Why We Need Black Women

Black women are being silenced in our culture. They are slowly being pushed into the margins and made to feel like their voices are unheard. Our mother's are losing children and young black women are forced to wear labels that make them afraid to speak up. Society will gain nothing by forcing black women into the background, instead we lose the most whenever we fail them and silence them.

Role Models: No Jump Shot Needed

Our society is fixated on celebrating the achievements of basketball players, singers and actors; but there is an unsung hero that we often neglect to mention -our mothers. Mothers are one of the most important aspects of our community, yet we forget to honor them. Black mothers in particular, have had a lot to deal with in the past couple of years with the senseless and unjust murders of their sons and daughters. Their stories have been drowned out by narratives of hate and violence plaguing the black community. We know that many young black men are losing their lives because of prejudice and hate, but not much has been said about the mothers who have had to live with the pain of knowing society does not value the lives of their black children. Women like Sabrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, are beginning to speak up and fight against the injustices that have failed them and their families. Fulton realized that the pain of her son's murder could be turned into good and began using the publicity she gained from the tragedy to advocate for change.

Misunderstood and Under Appreciated

Jayden Browne

If being black in today's society isn't hard enough, being a black woman is even harder. As a black woman you face both gender and racial discrimination. Everyone expects you to either fail, or they expect less from you. Stereotypes and names like "angry black woman" and "baby mamas" paint a negative picture of black womanhood . The truth is our communities rely on black women to be strong and push past those barriers and burdens they are labelled under. Without black women the black community and society at large, would not be able to thrive.

Black Women in Music

Music is powerful. It can give people confidence and make them want better for themselves. I think Beyoncé is a perfect example of a black woman that embodies confidence and self-worth. Her album Lemonade was all about empowering women and letting them know that they had a voice. Beyoncé lets women know that they can be there own boss and that they do no have to live in the shadows of men.

Progress...

My generation is far from perfect. Over the last couple of years we have seen terrorism attacks that have devasted countries; children being shot by police; and a nation divided at its core. But I believe there is hope and that there will always be hope in my life time. I have witnessed the first black president, something people said would never happen. I've also witnessed a woman run for President and nearly win. I have seen black men and women do great things for, not only themselves, but their communities. I have seen movements to help fight the injustices going on in the world, from the Woman's March to Black Lives Matter. What we need most in the world right now is not war, or egos but love.

Still Work to Be Done

youtube.com

I suggest watching this powerful documentary because it shows how far we have come and how far we still need to go.