no, but seriously
this is where the cult of respectability is a proven failure. this is the moment where black folks can stop blaming working class black folk, loose women and young folk.
because if black women have been dressing proper and keeping our leg clothes and being “good role models”,
if after literally a cool hundred plus years white men still think black women are basically monsters, even without knowing us, and are still taking our name and our shit without so much as a fucking thank you?
can we acknowledge NOW, at this point in 2011, that no NAACP award or banquet or black girls rock special or church schedule or status as the preacher’s or professor’s or lawyer’s or doctor’s wife or full length skirts or socially-enforced chastity belt is going to make racism go away??
that images in times square of women with long nails with daisy dukes is NOT the cause of racism, but racist white people are?
that my v card status and marital status is NOT, i repeat NOT the linchpin upon which white supremacy turns?
can we acknowledge that acting “proper”, when the definition of “proper” is determined by folks who are NOT invested in our advancement but in fact are rather dedicated to prohibiting it, will NOT protect us, will not end supremacy?
SERIOUSLY. cause we as a people been on this “act right black women and everything will be alright” tip since Reconstruction and i think the fact that racism is still like, a *problem* or whatever should maybe give us a reason to be like, hey! maybe respectability ain’t got shit to do with it! so we can stop black black women for everything and put steve harvey out of a job YAAAAAAAAYYYY *throws sarcasm confetti about*
This post will go far
maybe respectability ain’t got shit to do with it.
lawdamercy.
