The Worth of a Woman
Being a woman comes with its own battles, and when you add my race, it’s even more of a challenge to fight for my rights as an African American female. You would think the right to say, “ this is my body,” is a birth given right but for some reason I have spent my adolescence fighting for my right to say no, and as a adult, my battles have not changed. I can’t go into the High Museum of Art, put my hands all over the art work and say, “ why display this beautiful artwork if I cant put my hands all over it”. My body is all of my beauty and I can display it anyway that I please, but its belongs to me, and its not to be touched without my permission. The amount of disrespect I see towards women amazes me. There is a sense of entitlement in our dating culture that allows some men to think they have the right to access our bodies in ways that they please. These individuals often give the illusion of choice but refuse to take no an an acceptable answer. Saying no or standing up for yourself in these cases only incites intimidation. These words or action of intimidation are used to make you feel wrong or foolish for feeling disrespect or demanding a level of respect. In the moments it’s important to remember, anyone that intimidates and ignores your feelings is not for you. Your body is a work of art to be admired, and not the be defiled by the hands of those who could never understand its worth.
