Black men have failed Black women in many ways, but probably the most egregious offense is that we’ve failed to PROTECT our women.
As an avid follower of any and everything that has to do with Malcolm X, there is a segment of one of his speeches that will ALWAYS stand out to me:
That speech was made about 5 decades ago, and the FACTS show that our community STILL has a big problem on our hands:
- 60% of Black girls have experienced sexual abuse before the age of 18
– For every 1 Black woman that reports her rape, 15 DO NOT (for every 1 white woman that reports her rape, 5 do not)
– African-Americans are more likely to blame the VICTIM for being sexually assaulted
– Black people account for a disproportionate number of intimate partner homicides
– Almost 1 in 3 African American women have been subject to intimate partner violence
Aside from not protecting our women physically and being the main cause of their pain, Black men also have failed to protect our women’s honor, integrity and image. When I look around today I see the Black female form being continually oversexualized in the media, Black women being overtly disrespected in music to the point it’s viewed as normative behavior, and Black women being abandoned as parents.
The loud, angry, uncontrollably violent and classless caricature has become fodder for the entertainment of the general public – all while far too many Black men stand by and either laugh or just ignore it, with no meaningful intervention ever considered. We’ve allowed Black women to be disrespected at all turns without any REAL resistance, but worse of all we’ve been active participants in dishonoring them, which is really terrible because Black women are achieving A LOT right now in spite of our lack of protection:
- Black women are enrolling in post-secondary institutions at a higher rate than any race and gender group
– Black women are overcoming unemployment at a faster rate than any race and gender group
– The rate of Black female entrepreneurs is quickly rising, and sales for businesses owned by Black women have reached nearly $37 billion
These modern day realities make Malcolm’s sentiment just as relevant today as it was years ago. And it comes down to one sad truth: Black men don’t know HOW to protect Black women. If you’re a man reading this and you’re preparing to get all up in your feelings and write a long dissertation filled with excuses and unrepentant misogyny because you REFUSE to hear about your own flaws, please leave this discussion. If you are a woman who wants to use these points solely to fuel your Black male misandry, please exit stage left. This is a serious conversation for people who are actively engaged with bettering the Black community – and the first step is Black men realizing that there IS a huge problem and accepting it.
At the end of the day, the Black community is essentially a team, and like any team, one cannot divorce themselves from the interconnectedness they share with their teammates. So it’s NOT good enough for a Black man to solely care about protecting his family while actively participating in and supporting a culture that demeans sisters all around him. There’s SO much worth protecting in Black women, and it’s time Black men stepped up to the plate.
(Photo credit: Vibe, Shutterstock)
Lincoln Anthony Blades blogs daily on his site ThisIsYourConscience.com, he’s an author of the book “You’re Not A Victim, You’re A Volunteer” and a weekly contributor for UPTOWN Magazine. He can be reached via Twitter @lincolnablades and on Facebook at This Is Your Conscience.
