Taking a moment to depart from my usual content in order make a post on something very important: Black History Month. It’s a great time to promote the issues of the African American community but so often, the focus is: A) only on the men or B) on the slavery or Civil Rights eras. So since this blog is mainly geared toward women, on this last day of February I’d like all of us who want equality to focus on ways to support the history and interests of Black women starting now.
But what’s that you say? You’re flat broke?? Not to worry- here are some ways to support for free today and year-round:
1) Follow Black women activists on social media (this helps you learn without being that annoying “ally” who expects marginalized people to serve as her personal encyclopedia when Google is a thing) and SHARE. Those. Posts!!! This is free, easy, and helps educate others without draining the writer; it also spreads these women’s work to other people who can afford to pay for their main content. You can begin with Black Girl in Maine, which I first found right here on WordPress. Some other good follows are:
(These are their Twitter handles but look for them on Facebook/Tumblr/other sites.)
2) Watch some good TV/movies directed by, produced by, or at the very least starring Black women (YOOOOO FINALLY YOUR NETFLIX BINGING CAN SERVE A PURPOSE BESIDES LAZINESS):
- a: Did you like Sex and the City? Check out Living Single on Hulu (or for a delightfully raunchier version, check out Issa Rae‘s Insecure on HBO).
- b: Gossip Girl fan? Try Shonda Rhimes‘ Scandal on ABC/Netflix.
- c: Do you enjoy period films like Pride and Prejudice, The Duchess, and Becoming Jane? Watch Amma Asante‘s “Belle” (2013).
- d: Loved 2003’s Mona Lisa Smile? Check out “Hidden Figures” (2016).
- e: Are you an old school Black and White fanatic? Look up Dorothy Dandridge starring in 1954’s “Carmen Jones.”
- f: Were you super into Chicago or all things jazz and the roaring 20s? Try HBO’s “Bessie” (2015).
Film and TV about slavery and civil rights are deeply important of course, but we are MORE than suffering. Too often, Black Hollywood is only rewarded for its work in “tragedy porn” that emphasizes Black suffering, or works that are directed and written by White filmmakers (and even when they’re not, too often the perspective of Black women is excluded from depictions of the Black experience buuuuut…) So for every other genre out there, there is content created by Black women that is just as good but far less publicized and we should demand more.
3) Follow/subscribe to Black female content creators online! I cannot stress this one ENOUGH. You’re already fooling around on the internet so why not have your procrastination serve a cause? YouTubers, bloggers/vloggers, podcasters…all of these people get paid (or get exposure, which eventually leads to being paid) through “likes,” shares, and subscription counts- which are usually FREE on your end. You have no reason not to be watching/reading something you enjoy and not subscribe or follow to give this person’s hard work some benefit. Or even if it’s not your cup of tea, if you see a Black woman you know consistently working hard on something she’s passionate about- hit that share button so she can be discovered by someone else who may enjoy! Check out Awesomely Luvvie (if you like pop culture commentary) Jackie Aina (if you love makeup), or heyyy, subscribe to my own blog (beauty product reviews and style tips) that you’re reading right now. The internet is free. Women’s work should not be. Subscribe to all the things and help women get paid for their labor.
4) Be a snooty white woman and demand Black women be featured in women’s/feminist programs, organizations, companies, literature, presentations, TV, and art. Use your privilege for good! I can’t tell you howwwww many times I’ve seen a, say, museum exhibit that claims to be promoting the achievements of women THAT HAS NO BLACK WOMEN IN ITS FEATURES OR ON ITS STAFF. I need you to pop up in there (even virtually- maybe especially virtually, since social media is quickly becoming the biggest PR there is these days) like:
“Uhhhh, cool, but where are the Black women?” *stares intently*
Make it awkward. In the age of Google, it’s inexcusable that they couldn’t find any Black women to feature and in 2018, it’s inexcusable that they couldn’t “find” any qualified Black women to hire (This “oversight” also applies to other women of color, but it’s February now. So.) Also, stop patronizing places, brands, and companies that do this until they change.
Black women still, overall, make even less than white women make to every dollar that white men do. I hope you all know by now that the biggest problem with racism isn’t white people using slurs or whatever tf ever white men in the suburbs spend their time doing, but rather the institutionalized prevention of access to resources and opportunities, like education and jobs. So let’s stop with the empty promises to “trust” “listen to” or “respect” Black women; if you’re truly serious about women’s equality, let’s PAY and HIRE Black women.
Because we shouldn’t only be supporting Black women one month out of the year.
(If you found this post helpful, and you’d like to start by supporting the labor of this Black woman, please share this post or donate: paypal.me/ayana1863/20)
From Good to Glam 