The Black woman is like a mosaic — several different pieces that compose one beautiful piece of art. We come in various hues, shapes and sizes, and each of us is distinctively unique, yet we represent the same culture and ethnicity.
Like a mosaic, Black women often get lumped into being characterized in one particular way rather than being recognized for our individuality. Unfortunately, many mainstream media outlets and entertainment entities unfairly classify Black women in negative stereotypical ways.
Let’s see…we’re often portrayed as the angry, spiteful Black woman who is mad at the world. There’s the functionally illiterate Black woman who can’t use proper grammar, and has multiple children by as many different men. Then there’s also the stereotypical crack head Black woman who will do anything to get her next hit. Oh, let’s not forget about the gold-digging Black woman who “earns” all the finer things in life by sleeping with professional athletes and drug dealers or by being mistresses to the elite.
While there are some Black women who fit the mode of what many mainstream entities have established, it’s unfair to characterize us all in that one category. What we have to do for these women is hope and pray that they see there’s a more productive way to be, but if they never grasp that concept, it’s not up to us to judge them either.
There are many Black women in this country who are nothing like any of the negative characterizations I described. There are attorneys, educators, business leaders, and working professionals. Many are married, have children and lead relatively normal, drama-free lives. The ones who aren’t married are in committed relationships with men who genuinely make them happy. And believe it or not, there are Black women who are happily single. They live fulfilling lives, and don’t feel the pressure to solidify themselves with marriage like so many women do.
The concept of this editorial came from an article I read in Newsweek magazine by Allison Samuels. Samuels, who is Black, titled the piece “What Michelle Can Teach Us.”
Like me, Samuels is tired of all the generalizations that are made about Black women. The two of us also feel that the next first lady, Michelle Obama, can “be a real-life role model for Black women.”
In Obama, America and the rest of the world will see the image of a true Black woman. One who is intelligent, poised, and a loving and caring mother who is also a supportive and influential force to her husband.
While Obama is a wonderful example of Black women, she’s not an exception to the rule, as there are millions of women just like her who live their lives everyday just as Obama did prior to being under the media’s glaring eye. However, because of the negative stereotypes that mainstream media outlets portray of Black women, most would deny that women like Michelle Obama actually exist.
Once Michelle and the rest of the Obamas settle into their new role as the First Family, there will be enormous expectations of her. Everyone will watch to make sure she’s not “too” anything. You see to spectators, she can’t be too vocal or assertive, she can’t be too disciplinary, and she most certainly can’t be too ethnic because as Samuels put it, “the underlying message is that the last thing anyone needs to be reminded of is that Michelle Obama is all Black.” I dare to continue Samuels’ thought and say that the last thing anyone needs to be reminded of is that Michelle Obama is all Black and a positive interpretation of a race and gender that has been falsely characterized for generations.
While the world has been fixated on President-elect Barack Obama, I’m personally excited about the role Michelle will play in America’s landscape during her husband’s presidency. I’m ecstatic that in Michelle, this country will have a Black woman who defies the stereotypes that are so often associated with us. That, in itself is a wonderful feat that’s truly been a long time coming.
