The Black Woman’s Manifesto For 2011
Black women are having a moment. In fact, we had several in 2010—not always positive (think Proenza Schouler’s “Act Da Fool” short and Gabourey Sidibe’s subpar ELLE cover), but almost always insightful (Sesame Street’s “I Love My Hair” video).
Whether it left us shaking our heads in disdain or nodding in agreement, we, without a doubt, had some much-needed discussion (e.g., Madame Noire’s “8 Reasons to Date a White Man” article and Tyler Perry’s “For Colored Girls”) and mobilized in ways that we hadn’t for years (from Philly-based designer Shavonne Deann staging a guerrilla runway show, to the “Fashion In Action!” march in protest of the lack of Black fashion directors in the magazine industry—both during fashion week).
It’s up to each and every one of us to keep the momentum going right into the next year . . . and beyond. Here at CLUTCH, we’re issuing a public declaration of our rights, demands, and just shit we will not stand for anymore.
- We will tell our own stories. There is just something to be said about Black women directing movies about Black women or Black women conducting studies about our own struggles. Perhaps it’s authenticity. Instead of complaining when we see distorted representations of our experiences, we vow to seek positions of power and/or find ways to support other Black women to do so, so that we can write our own narratives—not men, not Whites, not anyone else.
- We will not rely on the Internet (or any other form of media) to be our relationship mediator. One of the main reasons that the viral videos and special news reports on the state of Black relationships hit such a nerve is not because they perpetuated stereotypes we already knew existed, but because we weren’t already having these conversations openly, honestly and constructively with one another (i.e., men with women).
- We will feel safe in our neighborhoods. When did it become acceptable for us to be afraid to walk home after dark? When did we become naturalized to the random acts of violence committed against us each day? It is not okay. And we will no longer let another catcall or invasion of our personal space go unaddressed—whether it’s speaking up to the perpetrator or alerting the nearby authorities.
- We will remember that we are human. Contrary to popular belief, we are not the mules of the world. We are not superhuman. We will allow our selves to hurt, so long as we allow ourselves to heal.
- We will whip our hair. No matter if it’s long, short, permed, natural, or weaved, we will nurture what’s underneath. We will not pit women against each other because of our hair preferences. Hair is like religion. We each have our own rituals. We vow to respect each other’s rituals.
- We will open our minds and hearts to love. We will embrace the possibility of finding a mate who is outside of our race, income bracket or height range. We will remember that these attributes are not measures of one’s character or compatibility.
- We will love ourselves and each other. We pledge to speak positivity into our lives and the lives of others. We will mentor other Black women and uplift them. We promise to acknowledge other women with a smile or a simple “hello” . . . and mean it. Sisterhood is essential for our survival.
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FOR THIS…THANK YOUUUU:
We will love ourselves and each other. We pledge to speak positivity into our lives and the lives of others. We will mentor other Black women and uplift them. We promise to acknowledge other women with a smile or a simple “hello” . . . and mean it. Sisterhood is essential for our survival.
Stupid article and stupid premise. I feel this is an insult to black women and men. Although very subtle It assumes too much. There is no eligible/available black man shortage, black women have alot of opportunities in this day and age. There are black women out here with more than one black man. This attitude of entitlement and antagonistic anti black man, find a white man attitude that is trying to poison too many females. Who’s the pea brain that has the audacity to speak for all black women and make this ‘manifesto’ representative of all? No black person should fall for this inconspicuous propaganda. Im tired of this internalization of vicitimization and veiled anti black man anti black community attitude. Females who think like this should be purged/outcasted from the community, if not shamed. I feel a new movement starting. You people are trying to destroy the black community with this poisonous propaganda. There are those of us who will fight you tooth and nail before we allow this stupidity to kill us all from inside out. The line has been drawn.
lol are you for real?
This was a great article…
The Watcher,
I share your sentiments on this one. I find it incredulous that on the one hand, someone could talk about “telling our own stories”, being our own “relationship mediators” (not being defined by sources outside our own communities), state that “we will love ourselves and each other” and then turn around and encourage black women to “open our hearts and our minds to embrace the possibility of finding a mate who is outside the race”. Is there not, at the very least, some contradiction in that last profound statement?
It seems to me that the true manifesto should be about encouraging and supporting black male and female relationships so that we continue to thrive and build new generations of proud and strong black people who will have so much love for each other that they will not want to “open themselves” up to any possibility that will sacrifice the preservation of a black community and culture.
In general, I try to be respectful, if not totally receptive, to divergent opinions. But, this is one topic that angers me to no end. I don’t understand how someone posits a true committment to uplifting our community and then opens herself/himself up to relationships that will further weaken the tenuous bonds of common culture in the black community!!
Just as I don’t understand how a brother or sister can be so audacious as to bring a white man or woman to an event where 99 percent of the attendees are black and there are perfectly good single black men and women that might enjoy his/her company. Then these individuals have the nerve to get “offended” when someone finds his/her actions, at the very least, insensitive. Yes, it is a FREE country and we are no longer shackled by slavery or Jim Crow. But, please don’t act like you cannot remotely fathom why someone might be offended by these actions —- even in 2010!!!!!!
Some people love to rant “you do you and I’ll do me” as if choices made by others don’t impact a community or society as a whole. That is naive thinking. Often times, action speaks louder than words.
Take Care
lmao @the watcher
black women should find love and respect and someone who will look after them, regardless of color. they should not allow the concept of helping the black man or the black community keep them from looking after themselves.
if black men want so dearly to be in this role, they should do this – be the things other men are to their women. nobody’s stopping them from being the kind of men many black women want.
go argue with a group of black men. there are so many who need to get on the good foot. you know…
I must say I am truly disappointed in these comments. This article was written as a piece to inspire and motivate black women and in a single post you destroyed the positivity that I gained from reading those inspiring words. The internalized victimization and anti black men/anti black community attitude that you believe you found in this article is a figment of your imagination and clearly a development of the patriarchal society in which we live. For you to have the audacity to suggest that any person should be an outcast from a society because they support open-mindedness makes you a narrow-minded, self-serving, chauvinistic fool. Every word you spouted about supporting a “black community” is negated when you deny entrance to the black women who have matured and developed to a level within their racial identity in which they are secure in their race, heritage, and culture, enough so to date outside of their race. The black community is being destroyed by self-righteous people such as yourself! Instead of attacking this article, making a fool of yourself with your dramatic appeal to stop an anti-black man/community, why don’t you provide plausible solutions in which to uplift the black community. Identify the root of the real issues that plague the black community and make a move to make positive changes instead of attempting to force your own ill-mannered propaganda on others. If you don’t like what she wrote… DON’T READ IT!
And as for your foolish line that you attempted to draw with no foundation or support to back it….. I just crossed it. Now what?
I think the most important one of all is “We will love ourselves and eachother.” Once we do that, then women won’t see eachother as competition when another sister succeeds. Then we’ll be able to collaborate with eachother and conduct surveys, direct our own films, etc. I hope that makes sense… :)
LOVE THIS!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!
I love the way you pulled this all together, Clutch. Posting to my FB right now. ^_^
I definitely appreciate this article. I am an african american film director and i have been saying this alll along….. when will women step from in front of the camera and jump behind it? this is the only way we will get our stories out and create jobs for us
Too opinionated and rather brash…borderline annoying. Who wrote this?
I’m sorry, but I think that’s the problem. Some people are so worried about the community as a whole that they neglect the individuals that make up said community. Saying that black male and female relationships are they only way to make the black community stronger is just downright wrong.
When someone takes a non-black partner, does that mean they are no longer part of the black community? If a bi-racial couple have children, are those children also not part of the black community? Are those relationships any less proud or strong than black male and female relationships? Is the culture in those relationships diminished in capacity? If my child came to me and told me they were in love with someone who wasn’t black, my child would be no less black in my eyes than if they told me they were in love with someone who is black.
I believe the message (at least the message I got) from this article is spot on, and does not get relayed enough. We are human first, black second. Be yourself, speak for yourself, love for yourself. Encourage others to do the same.
And part of the problem is that many of the younger generation ONLY think of self until their behinds are in a bind and then they are constantly looking for that “community” to back them up or get them out and then have the audacity to believe it should be that way(even though we should remember “we are human first, black second”).
“We will embrace the possibility of finding a mate who is outside of our…. income bracket…..”
well, of course that leaves the door open for me to embrace someone in a higher income bracket than myself.
what an AWESOME manifesto. thank you. LOVE IT!!! gonna pass it on!!
“We will tell our stories” holds such power in this manifesto.
It is my hope that truth be brought to that power as we continue to have “moments”. True enough to our standards of behavior that we will not only call out those dominant drivers of the images that are projected of our womanhood but those too that are self projected when they diminish and denegrate. For example:
Basketball Wives….Really??
The cringe inducing season openner left this sister sad. Sad to see that this is the best that we can do with an opportunity to project our image as people of considerable financial resources, social standing and global, yes I said global, exposure.
Sad to see women of color particularly and women in general dripping in the visuals of ” the good life”; designer dress, new and improved chest, flat belly bare and lots of somebody else’s hair, punctuating and perverting many a young sister’s aspirational ideal…being the wife of a star athlete…with heaps of profanity and hair pulling catfights.
Sadder still to see that this season’s slap and cuss fest is to be played out in the presence of the teenaged daughters of the newest ex-wife.
Really??
I really love this article. For those who are complaining about “loving & embracing” outside of “our race” -remember what DR. KING wanted to judged the content of our character and the color of our skin!!!! So if I find a man who is white/latino/asian/middle eastern (etc) then I am LIVING his dream. Who said that “we” have to STAY within on “our group” to be happy- that is just as bad and as those ignorant racist who call(ed) for segegration. I like/love people according to how they treat me not by the color of their skin. It almost 2011 and we are still having to fight within our own communities to be accepted for living and loving on our own terms- kind of sad when you think about it!!