Does today’s world hear a black woman’s voice?

With recent world events (like black American  people being murdered by the police), I’ve been thinking again about our voice in this world; are we being heard? Is a black woman allowed to have an opinion today? Seems like I have a whole load of questions, but if we don’t ask the question, will anything change?

Silent mothers

I go back to our mothers generation – strong voices used to raise families, sometimes alone. But in the world ‘she’ had to be quiet- could she be heard in the workplace? Did her opinions matter in politics – did anyone ever ask the black woman to speak? What she thought? Who she would vote for?

Well, when we go back even further – we know our history; black women were owned, beaten, brutalised, raped and even told to cover their hair – a black woman had no voice or choice in the white world.

Yes progress…but what about our voice?

Fast forward to today and we see black women business owners, actresses, sports women, celebrities and more. I’m pleased the list is long but do we have a voice that’s listened to? Or has today’s world done a good job of ‘patting us on the back’ while conveniently being deaf to what matters to a black woman today?

Only quiet black women allowed!

I often feel like we live in a western world that only wants to accept a quiet, subsurvient black woman.

Just look at the comments made when Beyoncé released Lemonade – suddenly parts of the media were surprised that this black woman has a voice– she is not just a commercial music making machine.

They didn’t like the black ‘panther style’, her reaching out to black women of the past or the braided hair- what did they expect? Her fame doesn’t make her exempt from wondering if white people will take issue with her wearing braids or feeling the pain over #BlackLivesMatter

Don’t wait to be heard…

So do we have a voice?  Yes today we do but there’s still a battle to make it heard in the right places and by those who hold the power in today’s world.

I feel like whether or not we are heard, we have to still  use our ‘voice’. Whether that’s the voice to raise your children well, to run your business or become a leader in your field; yes this world needs to hear black womens’ voices for all the right reasons.

Use your voice and if you haven’t started, then it’s time!  Leave a comment below and tell me, “How do you use your voice?”