Regulation of the Black Woman
The original purpose of this topic was to express my annoyance with how people flock to “pro-black” comments made by non-black persons, but the same people who flock to those individuals have no real intention of supporting them unless they are speaking up for pro-blackness or are black themselves.
After going through the motions of trying to figure out why humans do this, I came across an age-old problem: black women.
Black women are a problem for society. If it’s not the skin color, it’s the hair, if its not the hair it’s the attitude, if it’s not the attitude it’s the body-types. No one is more scrutinized than the black woman. Period. Black women give and give in order to find acceptance in various communities only to be met with disdain when they want to voice opinions, thoughts and fears about themselves as black women.
Before I go any further, I need to explain a few things about the black community that is not always common knowledge to non-black individuals. These issues are not often addressed (outside the black community) nor taken seriously. So based on my original purpose for making this article, let me begin with the source: Interracial dating.
Interracial-dating is not always welcomed in the black community due to various OBVIOUS social issues. Even so, black men have more free-range to date outside of the black community than black women. More-so the same men who fawn over white, Asian and hispanic/Latino women will often times degrade a black woman for doing the same. This issue has become apparent to most in the anime community (Japanese animation), which has transferred into the kpop (South Korean music) community and beyond. We even see jokes about black women dating non-black women and see it promoted in non-black communities (Hollywood), whereas the black woman is rarely seen in interracial relationships.
Regulating “blackness”. How did it stay strong well into 2017?
1.Black people constantly regulate each other’s “blackness” based on stereotypes- hiphop, having soul, chicken, slang, Beyonce vs, hood-movies, etc. such stereotypes were enforced through the decades by non-black individuals who thought they knew what it meant to be a black person.
2. Black people come up with things like “the black card” to determine if they are “black or not” based on stereotypes imposed on them by the white community, which we have reinforced & re-imaged for centuries.
3. A lot of Black people who are willingly to give up the “black card” to enjoy their hobbies with no regret, do so hoping other black people (and society in general) will stop making fun of them for it.
4.Even after black people accept their passions (by accepting I mean doing it publicly), they are then given “new names” like “weird black girl”, “white Korean”. Black people are believed to operate under very basic guidelines of what it is to be black. Most guidelines consist of: hiphop, poor, overly sexual beings, dangerous, only support black products and black people, uneducated, etc. Operating outside of those guidelines result in the above mentioned.
If you didn’t know white people appear to be given free-range to like and do essentially anything b/c they are involved in and have taken over a variety of industries. The black community is involved in other industries, but it is not often promoted or praised. When they are praised, it is solely because the individual a black. Meaning they are praised for doing something that goes against the “guidelines”.
What does this have to do with black women & kpop and some tweets?
1. As stated before, black men have more power to date outside the black community and receive less scrutiny (by both sexes). It has become a societal norm. Possibly related to men being allowed more independence than women? Maybe.
2. Black women dating outside the black community is met with severe scrutiny by men and sometimes by women (who uphold what most black men believe to be true.) If you notice AMBW FB groups and IG pages, it’s not purely out of fetish like many want to believe and enforce on others. These groups and pages are created due to stereotypes, prejudice & racism they receive from their peers and total strangers. This issue of scrutiny applies to all ethnicities of interracial dating, however the black community is criticized the most for doing so.
The Asian community is seen as odd & unattractive. Another ethnicity society says is undesirable. So often times, when you have two ethnicities deemed as undesired are with another the confusion is high. People who don’t know how to process this information, their immediate reaction is generally on the lines of “What? Do you see that? Why?”
So what does any of that have to do with black women and non-black hobbies? EVERYTHING!
1. Black women are known for being the loudest in the black community when it comes to black lives. They support other black women, black men, black babies, black causes, etc. But they rarely see the same support back.
2. Black women are heavily regulated & judged essentially by everyone- black men, white women, non-black men, gay men, etc. Black women have to uphold standards place upon their heads by even other black women. But lets face it, those women are only mimicking what they’ve been taught by those already mentioned.
3.You would think black women’s life-long efforts of supporting the black community would transcend as black women navigate away from black-stereotyped hobbies. Black women have “proven loyalty” to the black community time and time again. Often times, black men do not reciprocate that notion, and often times it is seen publicly by non-black communities. Which generally results in a further negative image on black women that easily reinforces the above mentioned stereotypes.
What more do you want from black women??
Their bodies apparently. Black women are one of the highest sexualized groups of individuals (Asian and Hispanic/Latino’s suffer as well, but not to the same degree) so it is no surprise when black women decide to do their own thing the black community gets upset. Protecting the queens? Maybe. Regardless, black women have found their independence and it seems everyone is out to stop it from happening.
The natual-hair trend is no longer a trend. It is becoming normalized in households. Skin-bleaching (colorism in the black community) has reportedly dropped in various countries over the last few years as women of color pursue their natural journey. Which means finding beauty in their natural-born looks and moving away from flat irons, relaxers and weave. Black-african hair is one of the most scrutinized on the planet. Where afro’s mean “black pride”, corn rows are “thugs” and “hiphop”, while dreads are “weed smokers” and “unkempt” beings along with short hair being a symbol for “tribal African” and black females having the inability to grow hair which is the sole-purpose of weave. Black-African hair can’t simply exist as hair like other ethnicities.
When beauty products come out that show black women as the target market, many believe black women are trying to be special and segregate themselves from other ethnicities. This is not the case. What many find offensive, are persons who are wholly responsible for the lack of diversity and representation, have the audacity to complain when a brand emerges with a target market that does not represent them.
Brands like Rihanna’s Fenty, is doing what many black women and other women of color have been asking for for decades- a proper line that represents the diversity of melanated skin. Now that women of color have this brand, beauty corporations well-known for marketing to white and fair-skinned persons are surprised by how popular the darker tones are. How many times must women of color ask “white brands” for representation before they seek out whole new brands for their needs? Coincidentally enough these other brands seem to be releasing darker color palettes as well. It is interesting to see this all play out. It further proves the message many have been preaching for decades: black women really don’t matter. Unless of course it goes against the grain of what society has bestowed- worthless.
So with all that in mind. I would like for people to remove stereotypes and prejudice from themselves and simply allow black women (women in general, but that’s not really the point here) to do and be as they please. Black women are not created by a set of rules. Black women are not here to fit the needs of others. Black women can be educated, love anime, visit a country not in Africa, dance to kpop and more. No one needs approval from anyone, especially black men, to do as they see fit with themselves.
*This post partly unfinished due to what seems to be an unending battle between races, sexes and the uphill battle of being properly heard and respected. If you feel major points are missing that are very crucial for painting a bigger picture feel free to add on to your own post. Eventually this post will be edited. Thank you*