Black & Beautiful
Happy February 1st!!! Now February always gets a bad wrap because the allure of winter’s first snow is gone, people are tired of being cold, and slowly we are all realizing we should start preparing for spring cleaning & our beach bods. However, February is personally my favorite month! It is the shortest month, it is my birth month, and a wonderful opportunity to celebrate black history.
This year my black history month post is a little on the shorter side. However, if you want to reach more about what moves me in black history, my take on being a black women in America click on one of the posts below for more.
The main thing that came to my mind this year when I sat down to write this post was love. Year after year I take this month to remind myself about loving who I am, how I look, my Nigerian heritage, etc. Yet the feeling doesn’t always last… luckily with age I am more appreciative of who God made me to be, but that’s not to say that there are not struggles I face externally and internally on a daily basis.
With each passing year the world gets smaller and smaller. Improved technology. Accessible internet. Social media. There are so many reasons to love all of these things… you (being here) are probably acquainted with a few of the many benefits that each provides. But if I am being honest, more often than not the internet and social media become a source of comparison, anxiety and animosity for me. Sometimes I wonder “why I’m not at the same life stage as someone else”, or “oh man, if my skin was a little lighter or my hair looked like hers life would be simpler”, and even “man that would never happen for me or my siblings because prejudice is just too strong in this country”.
Now (in my opinion) there is validity to each of these sentiments / statements because of the cultural climate we are living in. It is not easy being a black woman in America, but self-love and love for my fellow human are key in the process of progress. There is beauty in who you are and in your current situation, even if you can’t see it. We recently celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King who said:
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
So today I’m reminding myself and you to be the voice that speaks out into the darkness and despair. Tell those you love that you love them and why. Call out injustice, racism, discrimination and oppression. Defend the weak and rebuke their persecutor. Push yourself beyond your comfort zone…into the space where growth happens. AND remember to love exactly who you are and where you are because you can’t give what you don’t have.
I’m sure that throughout the next few weeks I will have more to say on the subject of Black History Month. So if you enjoyed this post remember to subscribe, follow me on instagram for daily content, and comment below with your thoughts / feelings! <3