woman

I can’t stand it when men call us Black females. I am a human being and damn it I am a Black woman. Yes, female is a biological term but any animal can be a female. As Black Women Think Tank aka Breukelen Blue pointed out, there are even terms to differentiate female animals. Her point was that a dog can be a female and we call it a bitch. A cow can be a female but we call it a heifer and a horse can be a female but we call it a mare. Why can’t you call “Black females” Black women? What is your problem?

Poster Announcing Sale and Rental of Slaves, Saint Helena (South Atlantic), 1829 as shown on http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/

I believe it is dehumanizing because when I was in the service the military called women “females.” It was purely psychological. They did this to strip you of your identity, individuality and humanity. You were no longer you.  You became part of a group. I was known  and treated by my rank, job and my social security number.  The military didn’t care about me be being a mom, a wife, a writer, a dancer or just a happy person. I fulfilled a contract, wore a uniform, said “yes sir”, filled a slot, got the job done and that was it. Sounds like a mule right? Well the same thing happened during slavery and it occurs in prison today. During American slavery, Black slaves were listed as males and females. The slaves were stripped of their cultures, language, identities and religions. They were given European slave names and Christianity. They were listed as livestock and bred for performance and money.  In prison you are known by your inmate number. You are put in a male or female prison and you are seen a state or federal expenditure for a small town or the private prison industry. In these instances, they didn”t call you Mr. Peters or Ms. Jones for a reason. The purpose is to strip you of your dignity and humanity. You must conform. Calling you a male or female says you have no identity and reduces you to just a caged animal or in my case just a service member. This is what you are doing to Black women when you call Black women “Black females.”

femalesI believe a lot of Black men call Black women “females” because they do not see us as women. Listen to rap or watch TV.  Hell,  I even get called Black bitches all the time for simply writing posts or saying I can’t stand misogyny. By the way, I, in no way, resemble or sound like a female dog. I also believe it is also because of the spread of the prison culture in the non-institutionalized population. Let’s be honest. This is what happens when 30% of Black men have been in prison. They are institutionalized and that mentality has infuriated our communities.

One day go on twitter and type in “Black female.” The tweets mostly refer to Black women and animals. Next type in “White female” and you will see mostly animals up for adoption. Why is this? It is because those who call Black women “Black females” do not see our humanity.

I have to ask those men, especially Black men, who think it’s OK to call Black women “Black females” even when Black women say it is disrespectful, a question? How would they feel if White men called them a “boy” even if they were grown men? They’d feel humiliated and rightfully angry. Imagine how we feel when someone who looks like us does the same thing to us. Like you, I feel, think, dream, love and live. I am more than a breeder for the Black race, a sister soldier, a mule, a reality show actress, a youtube video beat down and music video prop. I am a mother, daughter, sister, sister girl, friend, singer, dancer, dreamer and lover of life. You will see my humanity because I am a human being.  I. Am. A. Black Woman.

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