GUEST BLOG: The Angry Black Woman Curse?
Melissa Sinclair explores the ‘angry black woman curse…
'Angry black woman.' If I had a pound for every time I heard that phrase I would no longer be an angry black woman. Hell, I'd be a very happy black woman! But as I don't, unfortunately I find myself writing this as a 'somewhat' angry black woman. Angry at the fact that when I am angry, I can't just be angry. I can't even just be an angry woman. I have to be the dreaded 'Angry Black Woman.'
But never in a million years did I think that someone could legitimately say such a thing about The First Lady, a living First Lady who is currently in The White House. The President's Wife! Now I'm not going to get into the politics of Obama's presidential campaign and what he has and hasn't done right since he came to power, or even the reasons why he's there. But let's look at this from another perspective. Margaret Thatcher, 'Iron Lady,' Michelle Obama, 'Angry Black Woman'.
Now before I start, please don't jump to the 'oh, another black person pulling the race card' conclusion. Because that’s really not the case here. My aim is purely to demonstrate a point.
The fact that Michelle Obama can be referred to and portrayed as an 'Angry Black Woman,' without any backlash or recourse against the people making or implying this, to me, is an indication that we still have such a long way to go. This is slander. If I, as a black woman, made a sweeping generalisation about white women/people I would be banged to rights (as Diane Abbott was a few weeks ago about her twitter comment http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16423278 ). If I, as a black woman, made a derogatory statement about someone in power, say for instance the Queen or Prince Phillip (let's not go there), I am certain that my rights to freedom of speech would be taken away immediately with some clause made specifically for times like this. However, in Michelle Obama's case, SHE had to go out and defend HERSELF against such comments. Whilst maintaining that she isn't an angry black woman.
Now, I've heard a few whispers saying that she could've done this and she could've said that, and she didn't really do anything to dispel the image of us being angry black women. But, without being rude or condescending, do you really think Michelle Obama hyping in an interview and backing our corner would do anything other than paint us as angry black women? The individuals disagreeing with me and cussing the screen, please be quiet, I'm already annoyed at you. NEWS FLASH! This is angry black woman behaviour! Why are you angry at another black woman who has had to stand up for herself because nobody else jumped to her defence? She did her best under the circumstances. At some point in our lives, we have all been made out to be the angry black woman, and unfortunately many of us then act like the angry black woman in response. I've been there, done that, worn that t-shirt... on more than one occasion.
I don't want to play the blame game and I prefer to see solutions rather than problems. So, I leave you with this. How do we get from being seen as the 'Angry Black Woman'? Because surely our strength, resistance, drive and many other qualities we possess (that are so often misinterpreted), could and should be used for the greater good?
Signed, a not so angry black woman.
WORDS: Melissa Sinclair