As a woman of color, I am viewed in so many different ways. To my mother, I’m her black queen who will one day take over the world. I’ll have my own company and become a CEO and never have to work for someone again.
To Caucasian people, I’m a woman of color with “I wish my hair could do that.” I’m also that ignorant, loud woman of color who will play the race card when I don’t like the way something is going with my caucasian counterpart.
To other women of color, I’m either going to be adored or hated. I’ll be embraced because I have something different that others adore. I’ll be hated because we feel like we always are in competition with each other, whether it be skin tone or hair.
To the police, I’m African American which means the wrong I do is punishable by a gun. To top it all off, I’m the angry, mad, ratchet, ignorant woman of color.
People tend to put titles on women of color; no, not everyone does it. However, the majority of people has categorized us so much that our society is shaped by it. You hardly ever hear women of color as strong, independent, and in need of no man.
Growing up, I was always taught to love the skin I’m in. I went to a predominantly African American school, so you never had to question the amount of black you are. I never had an issue with loving myself. It was when I went to a predominantly Caucasian high school that everything started to change.
I observed women of color not embracing the things that made them special because they were black. Honestly, I was confused at first. Then I realized everyone wants to be accepted. If you say that’s not true check this out.
If you had pink hair and everybody was making fun of you except the girl with blue hair, I’m almost positive you would become friends with her because she accepts you as you are.
My freshman year, I was sitting in class and my classmate who was a Caucasian male asked me, “what’s that one rap song that every girl likes?” I was offended because not only did he assume since I was black that I listened to rap music, but he also said, "that every girl likes."
I said all of that to say this: I’m sick and tired of the stereotypes, the comparisons, the negativity, etc. Women of color are strong and better together than apart. No issue gets better overnight, but that does not mean we can’t start to make a change now.
All my life, I watched my mother struggle and break her back to make sure my brother and I are taken care of. Women of color are strong. Yes, I am that black queen my mother has high ambitions for. I’ll be that women of color that some caucasian people want their hair to be like. What I won’t be is that angry, mad, ratchet, ignorant woman of color who doesn’t use her voice to make a change.
