February is Black History Month and its a great time to not only celebrate Black history, but talk about issues that plague society inside and outside our culture. One of the biggest issues is representation. Over the years, the media has progressively gotten better at being more inclusive of minorities and in various outlets. However, there is still much work to be done. Like many girls in my generation, growing up, I did not see the representation I needed to see. I attended a private school where I was always one of the only, if not the only, Black girl. My role models were people like my Mom and my Aunts who were educated Black women with careers and families. I will forever be grateful for the lessons they taught me, and they were amazing role models to have, but I still wish I had known about the women I look up to right now that are in social media and the spotlight.
From a young age, I remember wanting to work in the media. I now have women like Elaine Welteroth, Ava Duvernay, and Issa Rae who have a presence in the media and lead by example. Seeing them in their positions gives me the inspiration to do whatever I want to do and own my right to do so. Black women figures matter not because they show us we can do it, but also that we are already doing it. It not only is a matter of getting there, it is a matter of staying there and having the confidence to know we should be there and we are here to stay.
Being a Black woman in any field is hard, especially when the field is not dominated by similar looking people. We sometimes feel like people look down on us or talk over us and most likely they are. The most important thing for any girl is to have someone to look up to and for Black girls that can be hard to come by. Whether a young Black girl wants to be a doctor or a journalist, she should have access to women who look like her doing her dream job. Society hides the good we create and conceals it with only the negative things that are happening. Black women figures matter and representation matters because young girls need to see that our potential is limitless and anything is possible. We should be encouraged and excited to join fellow queens in all fields, no matter the odds and the circumstances that may surround us. I wholeheartedly believe that if representation creates results, then representation of Black women can create pure magic.