Black Women Aren’t Bitter, We Just Deserve Better

Malcolm X is often quoted for saying, “The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.” While all of this remains true today, in the same 1962 speech, he also stated, “Who taught you to hate yourself from the top of your head to the soles of your feet? Who taught you to hate your own kind? Who taught you to hate the race that you belong to so much so that you don’t want to be around each other?” Black men, let’s be clear; no one really cares about your dating preferences. What’s problematic is how you blatantly and publicly demean the appearance and character of Black women to uphold your warped idea that “foreign” is somehow better or more desirable. Stop it.

When it comes to beauty, Black women of all shapes, sizes, and colors worldwide set the bar. Period.

The recent clip of rappers Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Lil Wayne discussing how they like “exotic” looking women and the “angry” reactions they receive over it, struck a nerve in the Black community and rightfully so. In the clip, 50 Cent says, “that sh$t is exotic, it looks a lot different than what you see in the neighborhood all the time.” Well damn, where was this energy when the neighborhood girls bought the mixtapes, attended the concerts, shook that ass, had your babies, and put on for 99 and 2000s? There’s the problem; Black women are often deemed desirable when they are “in service” to men. When it comes to being loved, cherished, protected, and sought after as mates, they somehow lose their appeal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NQodxNlNwA

At this point, Black women aren’t collectively worrying about being chosen by men who don’t value them. Quiet as kept, given the high rates of college-educated Black women and those who are running their own businesses, a lot of Black men should be more concerned about whether Black women are still interested in them. However, if you prefer a foreigner who boasts Black features and consider that more “exotic” than the real thing, then just say you don’t like Black women and go on somewhere. This narrative is old and tired.

While it’s true, you can’t help who you love; understand that your “preference” is often rooted in colorism, self-hate, bias, and sheer ignorance. Like Tabitha Brown says, “that’s your business.” Keep in mind; the world is openly expressing their hatred for Black people as a whole with violence. The exotic women y’all love so much aren’t that visible during this fight; it’s the Black women from the neighborhood at the forefront of the movement, fighting and dying to protect your lives. We may not be exotic looking enough for you, but no one goes harder for a Black man than a Black Woman.