I came up with this piece once I began to think about the problems African American women face when it comes to being dehumanized and looked down upon by the world and our own community.
To those with large, dark lips, nappy kinks, and midnight skin—
sorry to say that we amount to nothing
We are nothing but the loudmouthed, dumb, jealous, ugly, and bitter roaches that everyone is ready to step on
Even our own are prepared to do it
We are the female dog, the garden tool, and that is all we’ll ever add up to be
Our beauty is nonexistent
We hold no power or resilience
When someone says we deserve better, prepare yourself for the rants:
“No! All women deserve better!”
Feeling pretty?
Well let’s prepare ourselves to be bashed against the head and spat on by our own men
Skin color will separate us because light is always better
Bodies drooled over, but when finished being used
are thrown out like trash or dragged through the mud no matter what we do
Portrayed as hoodrats, poor, and ghetto is an inevitability
Attitudes holding us back because we are the worst kind of woman
Imagine believing that?
Imagine that we aren’t the glue that is holding this world together
Imagine that we haven’t influenced others,
despite never having been given any credit that we deserve
Imagine thinking that our sun-kissed skin is an abomination to society unless it is as light as a brown paper bag like Beyoncé’s
Imagine that we aren’t one of the most educated demographics
Imagine that we can’t come together and grow
We are powerful, resilient, and beautiful
And we do deserve so much more.