Some people will hate themselves, then get furious with you because you do not hate yourself too.Tonya GJ PrincePeople will neve
This may be a disempowering time for women—but only if we hand over our power.
Right now, it has become fashionable for people to tell Black women that cruelty and hatred are our inheritance. That because we know what it feels like to be mocked, slurred, and cast aside, we should therefore tolerate the intolerable.
We do understand pain. We do know what it means to be the target of venom.
But understanding suffering does not mean granting anyone an unlimited credit line to mistreat us.
Why should we recycle the poison of others, swallowing it down and calling it our destiny? Why should we repeat the lies of the ignorant, declaring ourselves ineligible for safety, dignity, or equality?
If you truly believe Black women don’t deserve safety, then say it boldly. Say: “I agree with the ignorant people.” At least that would be honest.
But do not hand me more burdens and try to convince me they are my birthright. Do not dress up oppression as wisdom and call it “understanding.”
My life, my dignity, my safety are not optional. They are not negotiable. They are not up for debate.
None of the people who push these lies love you—not even the ones who look like you.
Protect your mind. Protect your body. Protect your soul.
That tired, raggedy theory has been recycled for generations as a weapon to strip Black women of:
- Safety
- Opportunities
- Positions of power
- Investments
- Family stability
- Equality
- Property rights
- Justice
- Peace
And it has been used against us for a very, very long time.
But here is the truth: we are not bound to accept it anymore.
Notice this: hardly anyone has ever dared to say the same things to straight white men.
Who tells men to accept scraps, to settle for the bare minimum, to make peace with being unsafe? No one.
So why should Black women be asked to?
Be over it. Be done. And dispose of the very idea that you deserve any less respect and consideration.
Someone else’s self-hatred is not yours to carry. Don’t let them hand it to you. Spreading self-hate is a violent act—and there is never an excuse, never a valid reason, to deny Black women safety.
Pay attention. Listen closely. Anytime you are told to accept what no man on this earth is ever asked to endure, recognize it for what it is: another attempt to strip you of dignity.
Stay up.
Stay rooted in self-love.
Stay unshakable.
