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TashaylaBordenSecondEssay 4 - 11 Apr 2023 - Main.MoneshDevireddy
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| META TOPICPARENT | name="SecondEssay" |
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It is strongly recommended that you include your outline in the body of your essay by using the outline as section titles. The headings below are there to remind you how section and subsection titles are formatted. | | | Which voices go heard in this community? Which historians do we keep note of? One may ask themself, "well, I know of these Black women and it is important to not let that stop you," but the framing of the question is not one to ask Black women to look past. The point is while an individual may know of Black women who influence them, that is not the case within the community. We are powerful creatures, yes, but in explaining these systems we gain clarity. We notice patterns. Black women's work goes unrecognized. Often, Black men get praise for their thoughts of community all while proving to be hypocritical in reality. The common idea of unity in our community works in a main way: to support the men and burden the women. A very gendered idea as well. Much of the work in our communities thrives off the back of women's labor. Looking at my experiences in education (Columbia and Connecticut College), Black women make up most of the boards of leadership, exert most of the work for community engagement, and without them, there would not be organizations for our community members to go to. Lived experiences are a common theme in Black feminist literature. Patricia Hill Collins, Black feminist theorist, voiced so many of my lived experiences in "Black Feminist Thought." Collins told me that Black women would need to eventually revaluate our muling, to which I agree. We must come together and craft our own community that actively deconstructs notions of white supremacy. We must hold others accountable and ultimately go to where we are loved and desired. Reminding ourselves of our value is how we choose peace and find happiness. | |
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> | Tashayla,
I think this essay was extremely powerful and illuminating on an issue that often doesn't receive much attention in today's society, despite the supposed initiative of equality and inclusion. I found the beginning part of your essay especially moving; there are many parallels with the phenomenon you are describing in the African American community to the South Asian community, where colorism is a rampant problem (especially back in India/Pakistan). Unfortunately, colonialism in India left lasting prejudices that hold light-skin as more attractive and desirable. This manifests, for example, in young girls being encouraged to not go out in the sun and use artificial skin-lightening products to remain "fair" so that they may one day "find a good husband." Furthermore, this bias is perpetuated by Bollywood/Tollywood (indian movie industries), where protagonists are almost exclusively light-skinned and darker-skinned individuals are disproportionately cast in antagonist roles. Growing up, I heard comments amongst my indian peers that revealed an ingrained self-hatred of our community (as you mentioned) -- for example, an indian male dating a white woman was described as "winning," and many of my peers proclaimed they can't "mess with" indian girls because they're "too much drama." I can't imagine the deleterious impacts these messages have on the self-esteem of some of young girls in our community, and I think essays like this are a great way to spread awareness on this pertinent issue on African American/South Asian communities.
-- Monesh Devireddy | | |
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