In the words of Black Cindy, yes you are a strong black woman. But at what cost?
Being in college, particularly a PWI (Predominantly White Institution), you come to realize that your race and womanhood is on display for so many people who do not look like you. It’s like people lying and saying you are invisible when really all eyes are watching you all the time. When trying to grapple with this double identity that most women of color face, it’s best to acknowledge that you cannot separate the two.
Womanhood is a broad umbrella in which women are under. Womanhood can mean many things pertaining to gender norms and how women are supposed to talk, act, and essentially live. Being a woman in this society is hard to put it in simple terms. Blackness is even harder considering that people of color were fighting for rights and arguably still fighting for rights to this day, long after women were granted equal rights. I say this to argue that because of this double identity, women of color, specifically black women, are put in a sticky situation.
When reflecting on my own identity as a black woman, I struggle to find ways to make myself heard and less invisible. I struggle to, even at times, understand my double identity and how it speaks to how people view me and interact with me. Women of color are stuck in between this space, where they always question if they are good enough, through the lenses of being a woman and also being of color.
I ask that women of color look at themselves, not to see only their downfalls, but to see their wins as being women of color. Self-reflection is the best kind of reflection.