Dear Black Men: Do You Know How Much You Mean to Black Girls?
There’s something I’ve been sitting with for a while now, and I need to release it.
I don’t know if Black men truly understand how much they mean to Black girls anymore. And I say that not to blame, but to ask—a real question that holds a deep longing behind it.
So many of us grew up with father wounds. Some of us never had fathers in the home. Others had them around, but never emotionally present. Some of us watched our mothers grow resentful—toward life, toward us—because of the hurt caused by a man who left.
And in the absence of healing, many of us were taught that boys were distractions. That the opposite gender could offer us nothing but pain. That we had to be strong, independent, and emotionally guarded.
But underneath all that conditioning… we still needed you. We still need you.
We needed Black men to protect us—not just physically, but emotionally. We needed reassurance. Guidance. Encouragement. Not judgment. Not silence. Not disdain.
Instead, many Black girls grew up asking questions they couldn’t say out loud:
Do Black men even care about us?
Do they see us?
Do they realize how much their presence—or their absence—shaped us?
I truly believe that just like Black boys are told they need mentors, structure, and positive male figures to guide them… Black girls need big brother figures too.
We need to see examples of Black men who love us platonically. Black men who protect us with no ulterior motive. Black men who affirm us—not just when we’re romanticized or praised for our strength, but when we’re soft… vulnerable… still learning how to trust.
Too many of us were only exposed to the negative sides of Black masculinity.
Too many of us were made to believe that men who look like us would only bring us harm.
And that belief didn’t come out of nowhere—it came from lived experience, reinforced over and over.
But imagine if we were shown the opposite.
Imagine if Black men made it a priority to uplift us.
Imagine if we were celebrated, affirmed, and protected from childhood—by you.
Imagine if we were taught to trust Black men because we saw them showing up for us.
Black girls deserve to feel safe with Black men.
We deserve tenderness, patience, and respect.
We deserve to grow up knowing that we’re valued by the men in our communities—not just when we reach adulthood, not just when we meet beauty standards, but just because we exist.
This is a call to bridge the gap.
Because Black girls don’t just need fathers—they need brothers.
They need male figures who model love without pressure.
Who hold space for us to heal.
Who remind us that we’re worthy of being protected and poured into.
Black men, your presence matters more than you may ever realize.
Please show up like you know that.
Audio version available here:
27 • Brooklyn
