3 Out Of 4 Black Women Experience Racism In The First Ten Years Of Their Life
“American society will never completely understand the true meaning of equality.” - Briant McGill. To me, social justice revolves around the type of society you live in. Social justice in the world looks different in each area of the world. I live in America, so social justice to me is equity over equality. American society is like a house. One wall of the house is made of steel. Another wall is made of brick. Another wall is made of wood. While the last is made of glass. These walls represent four different types of people. The wall of steel represents the White men. White men are always at the top no matter how hard we try to change that. They built the system we live by today, which only benefits them. The wall of brick represents the Black men. Black men do have a difficult time, but at the end of the day they are still men, therefore, they will be treated better than a woman. The wall of wood represents the White women. White women still have some type of power, the social justice system is only somewhat built against them. They still have a foot up on Black women. While the wall of glass represents the Black women. Black women are treated as if they came from the bottom of the barrel, with the social justice system being built against their rights. Each of these classes are not equal and may never be equal if we keep the same social justice system around.
An activist named Rachel Cargle once said, “White feelings should never be held in higher regard than black lives.” Throughout the course of American history, the worst-treated person in America has always been the black woman. As a black woman, I have to keep this in the back of my mind while going on about my life. Black women are easy targets in America, or specifically in the United States. We can be thought of as ghetto, ratchet, or angry. Typically, we have to prove ourselves ten times as hard as anyone else to even be glanced at. Regardless of how hard we work, one bad moment or stereotype could have more of an impact than righteousness could. With this being said, not every white person in America treats black women this way; in fact, some cherish them. This still doesn’t change the fact that other white people pass on these behaviors to their children and grandchildren, continuing the cycle. Major hate crimes and killings are not the only negative ways white people have tried breaking us down. Little comments every day range from “Does your child know who their father is?” To small actions like touching someone's hair. While this may not seem to do much, people in general tend to forget that it is the small things that make a difference.
You would think that as a Black woman, other Black men and women would uplift you. However, in the real world, they tend to do the most damage. As a community of Black people, the goal was to lift each other up while we are down. Yet we separate ourselves even more than any white person could. On the other hand, Black women do get a lot of praise and glory from other Black men and women. I personally am always more attracted to a Black woman I see in public, or on a tv show even. My favorite people in the world are Black women. A big icon for me is Beyoncé. She has paved the way for many Black singers while staying true to her roots, and part of her roots are helping Black women make a change. Even with Beyoncé being the superstar she is, she has faced many ridiculous allegations over the years that have attempted to break her character. From facing rumors that she is in the Illuminati and a witch, to her kidnapping people for Sean Combs, Beyoncé is still one of the most influential Black women of our time.
Throughout my life, being a Black woman has been the best part of my life. It connects me to my friends, my family, and my community. Most of the people in my life are not only Black women but Black people. I am beyond proud of what I represent because being a Black woman has shaped a lot of my character. I am more patient, I am calmer, and I am just myself. I, however, have not experienced many social problems because I am a Black woman, but from what I have seen, I have learned. Growing up as a Black woman will impact my view on society, because society has impacted us. The world could be a better place for Black women if everyone looked past stereotypes and got to know people like Black women from the heart. They are caring, loving, relatable, funny, and most of all just human. If everyone in the world looked at Black women as such, the world could be a brighter place for more people.
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It’s frustrating how we’ve made opinions and feelings our main priority. When we feel attacked we often defend ourselves in a manner not seen as beneficial towards both parties. This results in a negative perspective on certain groups or individuals as negative confirmation bias is confirmed. The only way to fight back against it is to not fight at all.
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I liked how personal this essay was. I was able to relate to it on a level, so it was nice to see a familiar perspective. I also enjoyed the mention of social justice within a race, since it is not usually talked about.
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The analogy used in this is a great way to explain how each group of people are represented and treated. I totally agree with your points made. White men have always been on top, and I don’t believe that’ll change anytime soon. I myself have seen black women go through these struggles and sympathize with them.
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