Happy Black History Month! I love celebrating my history and the history of my people. And while I believe the acknowledgement and celebration of Black history should be happen all year long, I am glad that we have a month to pause, reflect, and celebrate the rich history of our culture and people. So as part of the celebration, here are some of the things I love about being Black:
- I love the deep richness of my beautiful brown skin.
- I love the diversity of the African Diaspora. We represent everyone from African, to Afro-Latino, from Afro Caribbean, to African American; each with its own beautiful culture and traditions.
- I love that we are a resilient people. That no matter the obstacles, trials, and difficulties that have tried to destroy us, in the words of Maya Angelou, “still, like air, we rise”.
- I love that we have a community mindset. That when something affects one of us, it affects all of us; even if we’ve never met each other a day in our lives.
- I love that we are the heartbeat of the culture, and I love the God given talent that we possess. We are singers, writers, directors, entrepreneurs, innovators, scientists, teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, professors, and so much more.
- I love how expressive we are as a people. The sound of our joy through laughter echos for all to hear! We are not afraid to show the full spectrum of our emotions.
- I love the uniqueness and versatility of our hair. I love that it defies gravity. We can wear it in braids, twisted, in a fro, straight, curled, long, short and styles you would have never even thought of.
- I love our strength and our loyalty. That we are not afraid to stand up for what is right, even in the face of extreme opposition.
- I. Love. Being. Black!
I am proud to be a Black woman! I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. God made me Black on purpose and with purpose, and I want to continue discovering what that purpose is. So in honor of celebrating the joys of being a Black woman, I will leave you with this quote:
“Being a black woman is beautiful to me because we’re phenomenal. Literally. Given all the countless obstacles that we’re faced with, we always overcome them with resilience. We have this confidence, charisma, and elegance that’s embedded in us from birth. We’re beautiful. Being a black woman is something that I’m extremely proud of, and it shows by the way I speak, the way I move, and by the way I raise my children. I’m enamored by black women, and by the skin I’m in. I pray to God daily for allowing me to be this woman, to be a strong black woman, to be able to showing spread pride. Black women… Queens.” – Courtney Warwick
