The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not represent the views of Her Campus FSU.
Like most American girls, I grew up watching Disney princess movies while wearing the puffiest dress I owned, my head adorned with a plastic tiara. In one hand, I held a juice box and in the other was a matching plastic wand. I would sit there for hours and watch as the princesses would fall in love with their handsome Prince Charming and live happily ever after. Although there is a slew of animated princesses, there was only one that I could relate to. She had brown skin, dark hair and dreams of becoming her own boss, and she just so happened to marry a handsome prince.
Courtesy: Fanpop
So naturally, when I heard the news about Prince Harry “putting a ring on it,” I jumped for joy. I couldn’t believe it. Was this real?! As a lover of love, I quickly fell down the rabbit hole, thinking that it would be my turn next. *Cue strolling through wedding boards on Pinterest.*
But things changed when headlines on the news and magazines were projecting Meghan Markle as a young and lively black woman who “had finally found love.” Was the media implying that we can all be princesses now? Some women of color found this rather patronizing and disturbing. If anything, Meghan Markle’s engagement offered excitement, NOT hope. Ultimately, this statement continued to perpetuate the inaccuracy of the love life of an African American woman.
So here’s the tea.
There’s a narrative that black women are chronically single and have been seen as unattractive, loud, annoying, unfriendly and unapproachable. The misrepresentation has unfortunately turned into a stigma that has continuously stuck, making it much harder to find love these days.
But after some heavy thinking, I realized that what had everyone shook was the fact that an affluent, royal, European man was actually publicly showing his affection for a woman of color. Well, number one, there shouldn’t be any surprises as love sees no color, and number two, Harry is human.
But truly, there is a heavy cross to bear on both ends of the spectrum. Maybe Meghan doesn’t want to have the responsibility of being portrayed as the pinnacle of success for a black woman finding love. And most importantly, she doesn’t have to. Black women are now more than ever more willing to go for the things they want, without hesitation. Some may call persistence a character flaw, but in my eyes, I can actively continue to write my own narrative about how I can find love.
So as a young African American woman, I have realized that Meghan’s story ultimately will not define how valuable I am when it comes to love. Although I’m elated and will probably end up watching the royal wedding while snuggling up to my body pillow, we have to remember that we were princesses before her engagement and will continue to wear our invisible crowns afterward. It is important that we inspire the next generation of young girls, that they are seen as just as valuable without the low likelihood of being married into royalty.