Over the years, I have been part of many discussions examining the condition of Black women, specifically the viewpoint of the “Invisible Black Woman”. For a while, I internalized the notion that I was invisible as a Black woman and subconsciously accepted that as the status quo. As my conscience and voice evolved as a Black woman, the concept of Black women being labeled as invisible sickened me. What sickens me is that after the “Invisible Black Woman” is conceptually unpacked among audiences, there is a rapid return to the behaviors that exacerbate rather than eradicate the issue of invisibility experienced by Black women. This concept has become a convenient excuse to further ignore the issues faced by Black women individually and women of color holistically. Unfortunately, many of us have accepted invisibility as normal and possibly never changing. Further, this concept has been used as a tool to subjugate the value of Black women by many intellectuals, culture influencers, and key decision makers in our society. This concept has turned into a deliberate set of actions that further alienate the pure essence and attributes of Black women. It creates opportunities to minimize our intellect, ingenuity, strength, power, and the life the comes from our wombs naturally and spiritually. We are trendsetters, pioneers, and leaders. We are notorious for creating movements that speak directly to our issues because many of our global movements continue to leave the needs of Black women and women of color off the agenda, thus furthering the gap of our continued human flourishing.
White women have long historically battled a barrage of assaults powered by sexism and classism – such as intimate partner violence, sexual violence, misogyny, hyper-sexualization, suffrage, unequal pay, etc. Black women have been dealing with these same issues of abuse and misogynoir for generations and we are still terribly behind in some respects. These issues are further compounded for Black women because of racism. Sadly, the offense is far greater when Black men perpetuate these same behaviors against Black women.
Our pain, the brutality we experience, our death – is too often justified, ignored, and viewed as circumstantial – as if we are to blame for the outcomes and that our erasure from all forms of history is acceptable. When these issues are addressed for Black women, then perhaps they will be viewed as an issue for all women of color, and finally elevated as an issue requiring immediate action for all women regardless of racial or ethnic background. Do not confuse these sentiments as a forward push of the feminist movement – the original feminist movement did not include women of color. This is about addressing the fallacies that exist around and within the invisibility of Black women. For far too long, our “invisibility” has been used as a crutch to further ignore our voices and humanity.
The Black Lives Matter movement was established by a group of Black women inspired to change the trajectory of humanity with the aim of protecting all Black lives (male, female, LGBTQ+) from systemic racism, oppression, and brutality. Please don’t ever forget that the nature of a Black woman innately protects the vulnerable because we know firsthand what it feels like to be unprotected in our homes, in our communities, in our places of worship, and on our jobs. Amid fighting for our own humanity – we grind to shelter our children, men, family members, loved ones, and community structures. We do not need sympathy; we require an acknowledged seat at the table with equitable opportunities to influence and gain without barrier.
I imagine this is part of the impetus behind the #SayHerName or #BlackLivesMatter movements. Let us be careful to not get quiet when the dust “settles” after one of our Black brothers or sisters has been killed senselessly and brutally by the keepers of institutionalized systems of oppression. Let us take care to not forget about the lives of Black women that are crying out for justice from the grave! On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor was murdered in her home while asleep in the middle of the night by three Louisville Metropolitan Police Department Officers: Myles Cosgrove, Brett Hankison and Jonathan Mattingly. It has been nearly five months; no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed against any of the officers involved in her murder. We must not fall silent; we must continue fighting for women like Breonna Taylor. I am Breonna and Breonna is me. This is an example of what complicity looks like in treating Black women like they are invisible. Justice for Breonna Taylor would be one of many steps toward destroying all systems of oppression.
The “Invisible Black Woman” phenomenon further perpetuates the covert and overt racism experienced by Black women today and affects her overall quality of life. We must do better, and we must work together for tangible change on all matters related to anti-racism regardless of color, ethnic background, gender, age, religion, culture, or social status.
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