There’s Power in Being Unapologetically Black and Beautiful 

As you all know, my pieces are all for the most part inspirational. I started this blog with the intent of sharing my experiences and sharing who I am in order to create positive change. These past few months, I’ve realized that I haven’t done that fully. As a black woman, I haven’t touched on certain topics and/or issues that deserve being touched on. As as black woman, it is my duty to discuss things that pertain to me and people who are just like me. I can be honest and say, I’ve struggled with posting or highlighting things that may be seen as controversial. However, over the past few months, I knew that I needed to step outside of that box. It isn’t that I’m just learning to embrace being black. Not at all. I love being black and I absolutely embrace my culture. I may have conversations about different issues that effect the black community, but I haven’t fully utilized the platform that I have to do so. Being unapologetically black, despite the backlash that may come along with it, is powerful. And it’s time to tap into that. 

As my thoughts continued on this topic, and I planned this post, I was reading this months issue of ESSENCE Magazine. In Vanessa De Luca’s (Editor In Chief) article, she wrote “there’s power in being unapologetically black and beautiful.” And I knew immediately that this would be the title of this article. When we can all come together and stand as black people, embracing who we are and our culture; we desire to do our best to help create the change that we wish to see.

One thing I was reminded of as I prepared lesson plans for my students to perform in the black history showcase, was how important research and education is. I am introducing writing to them for this particular project. Last year,I was able to introduce high school students to black history through literature. And this is something I’d like to do with my first graders. As a writer myself, it’s important that I do my research on great writers who have made great impact on the lives of others and created some type of change in our society. One who has brought various topics and issues to the forefront. It’s also imperative that writers research what’s going on in today’s society. The same goes for the black community. It’s important that we research and educate ourselves on those who have paved the way for positive change within black communities. There are many who provoked great change, and made a huge difference. And it’s up to us to learn about them, and continue on in their footsteps. It is our duty to continue to contribute to the changes that need to be made in society today. The only way that we can do so, is being aware and raising awareness of the issues that we and our community face. Once we become knowledgeable about our surroundings, we can do what we can to help make a difference. 

It’s important that we embrace who we are as a people, and as a culture. We must be proud to be black. To realize the strength of our people and how far we’ve come, no matter what has come up against us. When we embrace it, see our beauty, and just be us, unapologetically; there’s no way we’re comfortable when we see social injustices. How can we be comfortable or sit in silence about the lives of people like, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, and others. How can we not bring to light situations that plague our communities and our people; such as, what’s currently going on in Flint, Michigan. It just shouldn’t sit right with us. Which should cause us to pay more attention to what’s going on, concerning our communities, in society today. We must also educate ourselves on these topics and things of the past. 

The most important thing to understand is that we are better together! Powerful things can happen when we link up with one another. If we all embraced who we are, unapologetically, so many amazing things can take place. Things that we’ve been able to witness overtime. The more unity, the more change we will begin to see. 
There’s so much greatness within our people. We’re intelligent, strong, creative, thinkers, inventors, artists. We’re gifted. Therefore, we can use our gifts with the platforms that our gifts made room for to help bring about the change that we so desperately need in our communities. Not only our communities, but in society as a whole. And it won’t end here!