I know, interesting topic but I sometimes think, “what would it be like to be a white girl?” Let's be clear, I love everything about being black. My hair, these lips, this complexion, our music, our food, our shapes and our culture. But I have thought to myself what is it like to be a white girl in America. To wake up and be 100% of yourself all of the time. To be able to speak your mind and not have a label like aggressive or ‘too direct’ attached to you. To be able to wear any sort of outfit or hairstyle and be labeled unique or trendsetter and not ghetto. For me to wear my hair a certain style I have to explain how it happened, how long it took to do it, how the ‘hair is connected’ - I wonder what it would be like to just be.
I wonder what it would be like to not have to tone yourself down so that what you’re saying is received. To have not had to force a smile or add unnecessary pleasantries to emails to ensure that I don’t come off too harsh (even when I need to be). What it would be like to have opportunities without even realizing it. Every position or role that I have ever worked, I had to earn it. I had to prove myself day in and day out that I am more than qualified for that role even when I have more experience and higher education than some of my white counterparts.
I wonder what White Privilege feels like? To automatically to innocent then proven guilty - what a concept? I was watching the news yesterday and saw a video of this white women crying and hugging police after they were able to get her child out of a locked car. I was happy that the kid was safe considering it was 80+ degrees outside; however, I couldn’t help but think what if that was a black woman? Would I have made headlines in such a positive manner if I had locked my toddler in the car? Or would the headlines have been ‘Unfit mother locks a child in car’ with questions asking how it happened and what was I doing that resulted in it? I can almost bet that I would not have made national news and most certainly not in a positive light.
Also, saw on the news a young bartender body slammed a white man for groping her. They praised her because sexual harassment has been an issue in their area and they were proud to see her standing up for herself. That made me think, ‘what if that was me?’ Would they have been so happy that I stood up for myself or would I have been too aggressive? Would I have been facing assault charges for doing the exact same thing she did because I am a black woman?
You would think that in 2018, I wouldn’t even have to think about what it would be like to be a white woman in America but I do. I shouldn’t have to think about what a day-to-day experience as a white woman is like because it should be pretty close to mine. We should be able to speak our minds the same, we should be able to have the same opportunities, we should be able to get paid the same, have the same living conditions, and be able to be ourselves 100% of the time. Sad that today, that is not the case.
For the record, this wasn’t a post to put white women down or to say that I want to be white, it was to simply explain how I feel and the thoughts that I have. Would love to hear your thoughts and start a conversation.
Until next time.
Love, Brown Girl
“I think, part of it is, accepting that there is so much beauty in being black” - Tina Knowles