Why do others get the right to be angry and not black women? Why are we charged with managing how others see us as if that is even possible? We are entitled to feel our anger and any other emotion. This is part of our experience and should not be shunned because of society’s narrative. If you have been conforming to this cultural stereotype, then I want to encourage you to start today by giving yourself permission to be angry. Allow yourself to process and feel this emotion. Good things happen when black women lean into their anger. Positive change is often the result because experiencing our anger gives us the opportunity to learn and grow from it.
RESOURCES MENTIONED —
Understanding Jim Crow: Using Racist Memorabilia to Teach Tolerance and Promote Social Justice by David Pilgrim and Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper