Women’s History Month is currently from the beginning of March until the end of March. In 1990 after the Women’s History Project petitioned the U.S. Congress Women’s History Week was reserved for the entire month which is still celebrated today. I never paid attention to many celebrations like these during the month except my birthday. However, this month is different. In other words, as I continue my journey of finding myself, being myself, and inserting myself I am being inspired by so many women this month some who look like me and some who don’t but the fierceness and passion in them attracts me to them. This month is a month of highlighting and celebrating women who have overcome history of defining what a woman is and what a woman can be. We as women have not always had the privilege to vote, have a voice, be in school, and have a career. In the past we were subjected to being wives, mothers, and in the house. We were told that all we were good for. That’s only if you’re white…some of us who have darker skin have been subjected to the field, to nurse babies that aren’t ours, and mate with men who we don’t want too. Women, black women in particular have come a long way and in this month of Women’s History Month this is the month and time to celebrate black women who symbolize victory, triumph, strength, weakness, softness, gentleness, queens, and rule breakers. I couldn’t think of a better time that I would be more proud to be a woman let alone a black woman.
As I watched “Becoming” by Michelle Obama on Netflix I was inspired the entire time. In other words, this documentary is about Mrs.Obama finding herself all over again after being the First Lady for eight years. Out of those years she lost herself, because she had to play one of the most stressful roles on this planet while being a wife, and mother. Now, she had an opportunity to tell her story and finally become “HER” again. This is what inspired me to write this piece “What does it mean to be a black woman during Women’s History Month” and start my series “Your own BECOMING” where I highlight black women and other women who are inspiring me in my journey of discovering myself, passions, dreams, and my future career. I believe each of us are writing our own “Becoming”. We all have different passions, gifts, and things we want to accomplish in the world and with that we are able to inspire many different people. My inspiration in this came from watching a segment of Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” series. In one part of the documentary Mrs.Obama was speaking to young black girls, and they were able to ask her questions as it pertains to her life, and their life. One girl asked, “How did Michelle persevere as a black woman through invisibility?”, and Mrs.Obama response to that was, “For me I never felt invisible and thinking back thinking through my story I never felt invisible I think it’s, because my parents always made me feel visible it came from not what was going on in the world but what was going on at my dinner table… that invisibility starts here. We can’t wait until the world to be equal to start feeling seen. We are far from it, time will not allow it. It’s not going to happen with just one president or just one vote. You have to find the tools within yourself to feel visible, to feel heard, and use your voice.” That quote is everything! That quote is powerful and so moving. That triggered something in me. As black women the world tells us so many negative things about yourself.. We can’t do this, we can’t talk like this, we can’t show emotion, we have to be happy all the time, we have to better than the next person, and we hear all of these standards and it gets to the point where you may lose yourself trying to be everything the world says be and be everything the world says don’t be.
To me that quote let me know who I am. Don’t wait on the world to finally see me for who I am. Don’t wait on the “equality” bells to finally start ringing before I insert myself. I am a black woman there is nothing invisible about being that. When I walk into a room people notice.My skin speaks before I do. Some people look at that as a negative thing, but I see power and pride in that. If anything I am going to stand out. It’s my blackness. Being a black woman during this month makes me feel powerful. It makes me feel like I’m on top of the world, and I can accomplish anything. I should set my own high standard for myself and walk in it. I’m not walking in who the world says black girls should be but who I say Tho’Mesia Moore is and the woman I am “Becoming”. This month I am getting to know myself deeper and learning to be myself, and I am being inspired by women like Michelle who are still “Becoming” and sharing their story of getting to where they are today. This month pushes me to soar high and don’t stop because there are so many women who have already accomplished my dreams and there are so many younger girls than me who are waiting for me to accomplish there’s so they know they have a chance.
I’m in a place where being myself and continuing to get to know myself is my first priority and in doing that I am enjoying learning about other black women who have pursued their dreams, and career. This month of March as we come down to two more weeks I am starting a series titled, “Your own BECOMING”. This series will highlight black women and other women who are inspiring me during this journey. I will do profiles on different women, their herstory, where they are now, and how they inspire me during Women’s History Month. At the end of the series I will do a profile on myself highlighting my own “Becoming” on where I’m at now, where I see myself going, and how I inspire myself. So, stay tuned this week for a whole lot of Black Girl Magic and to see how you can write your own “Becoming”.