Why are black women constantly at each other’s throats? Is it because some women hate to see others doing better than them? Who knows?
All I know is the constant jealousy and envy causing division among black women needs to stop.
“Unity among black women is rare,” according to Lakisha Goss, a representative for the Tallahassee Chapter of Black Women of Essence, Inc.
“We are always trying to compete with one another and we can never appreciate the strengths of our fellow African-American women.
When we see a black woman who is on top of her game, we try to pull her down instead of studying how we can get there, too.”
Meanwhile, the Student Black Women’s Council at the University of Maryland suggests that the lack of unity between black women is a regional issue.
I beg to differ, mainly because it seems like women from the same city seem to loathe one another more than they do other women from different places.
If I were to take a survey, I am almost 100 percent certain that the three main reasons black women are not united would be because of men, money and material things – those are the things we gripe over the most.
For decades, black women have behaved like crabs in a bucket. When one comes close to reaching the top, others drag her back down.
So, how do we overcome these obstacles and become a unified sisterhood?
First, black women need to love themselves. After all, we can’t love anyone else, male or female, black or white, until we learn to embrace self.
Next, we need to stop living our lives through other people’s eyes and opinions. All that matters is what we feel about ourselves – you can’t please everybody.
Finally, we need to join and support organizations that promote sisterhood, whether they are sororities or other empowerment organizations like S.I.S.T.U.H.S. or the National Council of Negro Women.
When black women start making the effort to get along, we will be great.
Erica Dickens is a senior criminal justice student from Miami. Contact her at ericadickensbsw@collegeclub.com