Honoring and Protecting the Legacy of Black Women 365 & 24/7

Honoring the Black female giants who came before us and giving flowers to those who are continuing the work today.

Black Women, Gendered Racism, Black Stereotypes, Controlling Images, Microaggressions

“History is as much alive in us today as it was when the events originally took place. However, the unfortunate truth is that willful ignorance and selective amnesia are also alive and well.”

– Dr. Ebony L. Cole

As Black women, we have historically found ourselves at the bottom of the American racial hierarchy. To be Black and female is to experience racism and sexism at the same time.

This phenomenon known as the simultaneity of oppression is based on the existence of multiple marginalized identities and creates a unique lived experience for Black women that is different from that of Black men and white women.

A Unique Lived Experience Explained

While Black men indeed suffer racial discrimination and oppression, they still benefit from being male in a patriarchal society. And while white women undoubtedly experience gender-based-oppression, they are the beneficiaries of white privilege and protection.

So as Black women, we exist at the nexus or the intersection of racism and sexism among many other isms and we have been forced to navigate this treacherous road since the days when we were forced to become breeders of slaves, sexual objects to be used and disposed of by white masters, targets of white mistresses’ jealousy and wrath, and maids and mammies who raised white children while being forced to neglect our own families.

I know that I paint a grim picture indeed. But it is an accurate depiction of life often lived on the margins of society and being rendered invisible by that very same society.

A Message of Hope and Resilience

Yet, I come with a message of hope!

I thank God that Black women are resilient!

I thank God that Black women are intelligent!

I thank God that Black women are compassionate!

And everyone else should ought to thank God that we are not also vengeful!

I Dr. Ebony L. Cole stand here before you today a little Black girl from Akron, Ohio who is blessed to also stand on the shoulders of literal Black female giants who paved the way for me and so many others.

Throughout the remainder of this post I will share direct quotes from some of my favorite Black women. I pray that their words will be as impactful for you as they continue to be for me.

Ida B. Wells-Barnett

“Somebody must show that the Afro-American race is more sinned against than sinning, and it seems to have fallen upon me to do so.”

That is our great sister Ida B. Wells as she contemplated the state of the Black race in her time. A time in which Black folks were being terrorized by lynch mobs. She elected to raise her hand and step wide-eyed into the fray and in harm’s way to shine a purifying light of truth on injustice. She used her gifts to do so. She was an investigative journalist who used photos and the power of the pen to expose those who engaged in such heinous activities. I stand here today with my hand raised high. It has also fallen upon me to use my God-given gifts and talents to educate, empower, and inspire everyone that I am fortunate enough to encounter. I charge each of you to tap into your gifts whatever they may be and use them to be a light that honors and protects Black women.

Shirley Chisholm

“The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says: It’s a girl.”

Shirley Chisholm was the first woman to run for President of the United States, so you better believe she knew a thing or two about stereotyping of females and especially Black females. We are saddled with controlling images such as the Angry Black Woman and The Jezebel that are used to justify our continued exploitation. Having to contend with these stereotypes through the use of various coping mechanisms that seek to avoid confrontation or the perpetuation of said stereotypes is literally killing us in some cases. Again, I charge each of you to complete an internal examination of any negative thoughts or beliefs about Black women and determine their origin. If we are serious about honoring and protecting Black women, we must begin by dispelling these intentionally harmful myths.

Zora Neale Hurston

“If you are silent about your pain; they will kill you and say you enjoyed it.”

Zora Neale Hurston was an author and a historian whose work in the deep south shined a bright light of truth on the Black experience and particularly the experiences of Black women. In her novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” she refers to the Black woman as the mule of the earth. This conjures up imagery of beasts of burden with no intrinsic value outside of their labor. Unfortunately, this has been the reality of the Black female experience for centuries. Many of us embrace the Strong Black Woman stereotype and I must confess that I too was in that camp for years. The sad reality is that we are strong because we had no other option. It was strength or parish mentally, physically, or both. Most Black women do not have the luxury of being soft. You honor the legacy of Black women and protect us by removing the weight of expectations and lightening our load. Just because we are strong does not mean we always want to be! And to my sisters, speak up and do not be afraid of the backlash. People will hold imagery and stereotypes about us whether we advocate for ourselves or not. You may as well control your narrative, or it will be controlled for you.

Dr. Joy Degruy

“There’s an African proverb which says: ‘When you pray, move your feet’, meaning it’s not enough to just sit back and hope real hard or even pray about it. We have to act upon what we believe is true and fair.”

Dr. Joy Degruy is a renowned scholar and the author of “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing.” She is also one of my favorite people in the world. Dr. Joy is reminding us that faith without works is dead and no matter how hard you hope, wish, or even pray for change, you must ultimate DO SOMETHING. TAKE SOME SORT OF ACTION. I’d like to believe that by virtue of your reading this blog post that the majority of you are action-minded. But I will not take that for granted. You honor and protect Black women by speaking up on their behalf and being an advocate and an ally no matter your race or gender.

Nikole Hannah-Jones

“We cannot make up for all the lives lost and dreams snatched, for all the suffering endured. But we can ATONE for it. We can acknowledge the crime. And we can do something to try to set things right, to ease the hardship and hurt of so man of our fellow Americans.”

Nikole Hannah-Jones is a Pulitzer Prize winning author and journalist who penned the 1619 Project. This sister is making waves and serves as a lighthouse in an otherwise dark ocean of misinformation. She stands as a prime example of unapologetic Black womanhood speaking truth to power no matter the consequences. She urges us to ATONE for the sins of the past and to do something to set things right.

In closing, I want to remind you all again that history is not some distant memory with no relevance. We have witnessed far too many instances of history repeating itself while we were busy buying into the master narrative and the myth of racial progress. Every day some new regressive policy is introduced, and our rights are being systematically stripped away. In less than one month we can make our voices heard by exercising our right to vote and I should not have to remind anyone of the price that has been paid for us to do so. Let’s honor the legacy of these beautiful sisters, several of whom are now the ancestors, by protecting those of us who are still here fighting the good fight by educating the masses and using our God-given gifts and talents to right the wrongs and make this a better place for everyone!

Until We Meet Again...

Thanks again for visiting the B.R.A.G Time Blog where we value everyone but prioritize ourselves because if we don't, who else will?! This has been Dr. Ebony L. Cole reminding you that "education is my passion, but educating my people is my purpose."

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Access the following resources for additional information about gendered racism, controlling images, and stereotypes.

Cole, E. L. (2024). Silenced and Marginalized: A Qualitative Study of Gendered Racial Microaggressions Among Black Female Graduate Students [Doctoral dissertation, Franklin University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center.https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/send_file/send?accession=frank1711019428902495&disposition=inline
Collins, P. H. (2022). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. routledge.https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003245650/black-feminist-thought-30th-anniversary-edition-patricia-hill-collins
Jerald, M. C., Cole, E. R., Ward, L. M., & Avery, L. R. (2017). Controlling images: How awareness of group stereotypes affects Black women’s well-being. Journal of counseling psychology, 64(5), 487.https://psycnet.apa.org/manuscript/2017-46640-004.pdf
Lewis, J. A., Mendenhall, R., Harwood, S. A., & Browne Huntt, M. (2016). “Ain’t I a woman?” Perceived gendered racial microaggressions experienced by Black women. The Counseling Psychologist, 44(5), 758-780.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0011000016641193