BLACK GIRL MAGIC IS REAL
“JUST BECAUSE WE’RE MAGIC, DOES NOT MEAN WE’RE NOT REAL”
Yes, black women are magic. I remember hearing Jesse Williams speech at the BET Awards, and his message was said so beautifully and profoundly. It wasn't just a simple statement, playing to the black women in the audience - it was an impactful and particularly poignant message.
I'm going be completely honest with you. As a black woman, I didn't grow up hearing people say that black women are special out loud. Just a few years ago, it was “cool” to maybe talk like us and dress like us. But over the past few years, Black women have succeeded in various areas of life that have previously excluded us. Thank you, Michelle Obama for being our first lady and showing class.
Now we are considered magic! An invincible force of talent, smarts, beauty, and pizazz. But please don't forget we are very real too. We have real emotions and real everyday struggles, just like our non-white friends and co-workers. We are more than just the “homegirl” in class, the sassy co-worker, or the quiet girl with an attitude. We are so much more than the countless negative stereotypes that the media has made a fortune pushing. We are multi-dimensional. We are human.
Two examples that capture both the real and magic aspect of Black women's cultural power can be found on the TV show Insecure, starring Issa Rae. The show that Black women are out and about living our lives just like other famous white women we all have celebrated (Sex and The City anyone?). We have talked about our love for Insecure on this site and trust me, it remains an honest depiction of young black women and shows the multifaceted aspect of Black womanhood. Once again, thank you to HBO and Issa for showing us we deserve better on screen.
Also, the film Girls Trip with our girls Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish, and Jada Pinkett Smith, for showing how we can live our best life on vacation while dealing with the everyday demands of being a successful woman. Black women can be the center of a film and have a successful box office opening! We can be headliners and not the wife or sidekick in a film.
Thank you to every woman of color making moves on screen. (Shout out to Oprah, Shonda Rhimes, Ava DuVernay and much more)
Remember we are more than just magic; we are real. We are invincible.
Don't let anyone ever tell you different.
Written by Chauncey and Krystle