Taylor Berry,
Charlotte, NC

There’s not much to say. I’m not about to write a novel on a topic that isn’t rocket science. All I have to say is normalize women being able to communicate their feelings without writing them off as “emotional” or “whiney.” Specifically, normalize black women communicating their feelings without being perceived as “angry.”

It’s already bad enough that we as black women are constantly being sexualized yet dehumanized simultaneously for our curvier features. Constantly being made fun and looked over on opportunities for our culturally unique hairstyle all the while watching other women of other ethnicities appropriate our hairstyles and being glorified for it. Constantly being dismissed in healthcare settings which is the reason why we are dropping like flies during childbirth and being disproportionately affected by a global pandemic right now as you read this. We as black women go through all this sh*t and then some but if we dare speak a word on our pain, our tiredness, or our struggles, we are automatically perceived as the angry black women. Baby, I’m not the angry black woman. I’m tired of culture appropriation black woman. The tired of being discriminated against black woman. The tired of being dismissed, black woman. The tired of being overlooked, black woman. The tired of being dealt a poor hand and expected to say nothing back black woman. The tired of being disrespected by everyone black women. The tired of having to instill common sense black woman. The tired of being expected to be a single mom with prison-bound children black woman and so on. No, I’m not angry. Just tired. We’re not angry. Just tired.