Black women when you know who and what you are a low self esteem will cease to exist. What I know to be true from my experience is that the more I know about where and from whom I came suffering from a low self worth are slim to none. Most African Americans were not taught real Black History, like the wonderful ways(pre/post slavery)in which our ancestors influenced all cultures that exists today. Sure, every year we celebrated Black HIStory month in school, but it was a watered down attempt to appease us as a people. Imagine had we been taught about Queen Hatshepsut, King Taharqa, Makeda(Queen of Sheba), King Solomon, Imhotep, Mentuhotep II,Queen Nzingha,etc., we would have been bad to def(as they say...in a good way). Knowing what I know about my bloodline I wish to be nothing other than a beautiful black woman. I thank the creator everyday for allowing me to wear this shell of what I know to be the epitome of beauty. Which brings me to my first reason why we should all be proud to be black women. #1: It has been scientifically proven that the oldest human remains are that of a black woman out of Africa. You cast the mold for all other races of beautiful women. #2: Your skin, hair, the irises of your eyes and the major organs of your body contain melanin. Melanin was a gift from the creator to help protect our skin from the sun. Melanin plays other important roles in the body like capturing the energy from the sun and utilizing the energy to assist with different bodily functions and also helps us from aging like other races. Melanin is a dominant gene trait, not a curse. #3: Your hair which is naturally curly is strong and stands up(defying the law of gravity)like a million trees giving reverance to the sun...receiving energy from the sun energizing the body. Our hair protects our head and contains 9 ether(the combination of all existing gases of nature). #4: We are naturally in tune with the rhythm of nature. Have you ever noticed how we as a people can find the rhythmn and groove with ease? #5: We are naturally beautiful. We have lips, hips, skin tones and behinds that others have to pay for. Black women have a natural and we should thank the Most High for that. #6: We are spiritual people naturally and despite what some of us have allowed ourselves to become we are a morally conscious people by nature. #7: Black women and Black men are the civilizers of the world. We are the ones that created the sciences, mathematics, ethics, pyramids and civilizations that existed peacefully for millions of years. #8: Black woman you have influenced the world with your nurturing nature and you still have that ability...do not be afraid to embrace who you are. #9: Greatness is in your DNA.
Black women all over the world have different views about their hair. Some black women love and some black women hate the natural texture created by the Most High creator. Chris Rock's movie documentary "Good Hair" seems to have exposed an old wound of how much black women don't like the natural texture of their hair. So much so that this hatred has created a billion dollar hair care industry. Every woman has the right to wear her hair as she chooses and most women would say that it's all about preference. However, preference is when you choose one thing over another. Truthfully most of these women never really had the right to choose. From the time their mama could put one of those no lye(which is a lye) kiddie perms(which is really a temp until the natural roots start regrowing) in their hair they were forever addicted to the "creamy crack" as it is affectionally called. If you have never rocked your natural hair then wearing straight hair is not a preference it's called conditioning. Some Black women have been so conditioned by society that they are afraid of their natural hair. This movie did not deal with the reasons why so many Black women prefer straight hair over their natural and the fact that Chris Rock's wife rocks a perm makes me question the sincerity of the intent of this film. I stand in judgement on no one especially my sistren, but how would you teach a black girl to love herself naturally when you are living opposite. It just does not add up to me. C'mon sisters it's time to be truthful and real about this issue. It's more about lack of self love and conditioning than preference.
Black women that love themselves:
I heard a sister say that often times we confuse self love with pampering and I find this to be true. It is not the same thing. I know plenty of sisters that get their hair and nails done regularly, but are still insecure. Black woman I hope that this helped you gain a better understanding of loving your beautiful black self and that you realize that you are the most important thing happening in your world. The only way to love others is to be filled up first with it.
In most instances Black women are the first teachers to black children. In our ancient Afrikan culture she nurtured and taught her children divine principles, this is why she was called the mother of civilization. Her children that she taught created productive and morally upright communities leading to a productive and morally upright world. That is the meaning of the popular phrase "The Mother of Civilization." A great responsibility that our ancestors accomplished as necessary for the survival of the nation. Self Love is needed because it not only affects our world it affects our children, affecting the world. We have to know and love ourselves. So, that we can teach them. Knowing self is learning where you came from and knowing your true essence. Self is the best part of you, the God in you.
Before coming over to America our African culture was one that valued the black woman. We understood the importance of the male and female principles. There was a level of respect and equality between us. In Egypt(Africa) black women ruled as Kings(Queen Hatshepsut,etc) and Queens. Women owned land, owned businesses and held high positions throughout society. The foundation was matriarchal, meaning the black woman set the tone for civilization and it was through the woman that Pharoahs and Kings were determined. According to Ishakamusa Barashango, "It was the African woman who through, the seminal science of the Earth-agriculture, set the stage for humanity's quantum leap for the hunter-gatherer, semi-barbaric level to the solid primary plateau of civilization. That is why she was hailed in olden days as "Mother Earth". Titled so because man's gratitude for her role in the most important advance in the march towards civilization."
Then we were taken out of this thriving environment(this is where the self hatred began) into a patriarchal society that was the complete opposite. Patriarchy perpetuates the notion that a woman is inferior to a man. This is important knowledge to have(but not to dwell) in order to have an understanding of how we arrived at this state of having such issues with our self esteem. We all have been affected in one way or the other honestly.
You all know the story. We were raped(and as a result sometimes impregnated), taken away from our men to be the master's whore(imagine what that did to the Black man), we were seperated from our families(imagine if you were seperated from your loved ones today...hurtful), we were called niggers, bitches, winches and whores, we were constantly beaten and humiliated, our breasts were suckled on to feed the oppressor's child(while we had to neglect our own) and so on and so forth.
The best anecdote for lack of self is love knowing the story of the people from who we came which is how we get to know who we are. Black women are from a rich bloodline of Kings and Queens and we are the civilizers of the world. So, let's get back to our true nature. One Black woman at a time we can change the world for the better.
