Read on Twitter
So, I& #39;ve been watching She-Ra (again), and something Angella says really stuck with me.
She calls herself a coward and admits that she allowed others (Glimmer, Bow, Adora, Micah) to be brave for her.
It& #39;s got me thinking about who& #39;s expected to be brave online and in person.
She calls herself a coward and admits that she allowed others (Glimmer, Bow, Adora, Micah) to be brave for her.
It& #39;s got me thinking about who& #39;s expected to be brave online and in person.
If I can be real for a moment, I do feel a lot of pressure to be brave and outspoken, much more so than I feel. As if I& #39;m never tired or sick or sad. As if the occasional vitriol I get in response doesn& #39;t (shouldn& #39;t?) bother me.
It& #39;s very rare that anyone acknowledges that speaking up is not some involuntary reflex due to being a Sassy Black Woman. That caricature ain& #39;t me. It& #39;s a choice that reflects my moral and ethical values.
And it takes a toll. But few other than Black women acknowledge this publicly.
And it makes me...sad. And tired.
Because truthfully, I& #39;d rather NOT have to talk about the same bullshit that keeps happening.
And it makes me...sad. And tired.
Because truthfully, I& #39;d rather NOT have to talk about the same bullshit that keeps happening.
I& #39;d rather talk about my novel. Movies and TV shows I enjoy. Things I want to do with my life while I can. My pets. The weird mystical directions my mind goes in when I& #39;m alone. Ghost stories.
But, no. *sigh*
But, no. *sigh*
Can somebody else be brave for a change? Or, at the very least, acknowledge that it& #39;s brave to speak out because the more we more we put ourselves out there, the more extreme and vitriolic the responses will get? Can y& #39;all quit leaning on that Strong Black Woman she-mule shit?
Every Black woman I know who speaks up on behalf of her own people or on behalf of others has this unspoken expectation thrust on them.
Like it& #39;s so easy to talk about this shit online when there& #39;s such a big risk of getting dogpiled, harassed, stalked, or doxxed.
Like it& #39;s so easy to talk about this shit online when there& #39;s such a big risk of getting dogpiled, harassed, stalked, or doxxed.
I dunno. It& #39;d be nice to not have to always be the one raising these issues. Or at least be given credit for doing so.
