Black Women Deserve Luxury.

It’s black history month…Clearly. Now, most of us who are black, are black every month, everyday, every second…But nevertheless! The remainder of this month will be dedicated to topics pertaining to black folks, specifically black women. I will reiterate, in case you’ve never seen the picture in the about section on this blog, it’s not for show…I’m actually a black woman. And not only am I a black woman, I am a black woman who in her opinion, lives a luxury lifestyle. And that’s what I'll be speaking about in this article. Now, I am a little late to the party in terms of this topic as it was a big discourse about two years ago. However, I have some thoughts on it because I’m fairly certain that it’s an aesthetic that I participate in. But first we gotta address some thangs like…

The black woman struggle propaganda. 

And that’s exactly what it is…propaganda. Unfortunately though, the majority of black women fell for it hook line and sinker. Since birth, it’s been fed to black women (more specifically dark skinned black women) that we were meant for a life of struggle and strife and that living leisurely, or carefree is only for non-black women, specifically white women. And this isn’t just about media propaganda, although that machine is working overtime to keep black women at the bottom, this narrative is also reinforced interpersonally. I’ve heard countless stories of black women who just wanted a little more out of life like living in a better neighborhood, having an education, or even as simple as not being some dude’s ninth baby momma, being derogatorily called “white”. And that’s just the black women who want a little better out of life. Don’t even think about wanting the BEST out of life. I consider myself extremely lucky that my family always wanted me to live my best life but this narrative that wanting the best out of life is eurocentric is very pervasive in the black community. So it’s no surprise that when the black woman in luxury aesthetic began to rise in popularity, it was met with a lot of backlash. How dare a group of women who are considered at the bottom of every hierarchy there is want, no, not just want but DEMAND the best out of life? Who does she think she is? Well, I am one such woman and I feel that black women are not only deserving of luxury, we are ENTITLED to it. And I’m going to be honest, every race, including black people are not willing, ready, or able to see black women as anything less than mules for everyone else and struggle queens. Which is why…

The Black women in luxury movement is needed.  

Yes… needed. But why is it needed? Well, like I stated in the paragraph above, there is a very extensive propaganda train trying to get black women to accept the bare minimum. We need an equal and opposite force to counteract the damage that’s being done. And in my opinion, that force is black women leading luxury lives. Now, generally, I don’t believe in extremes but to be honest, many black women are in extremely low budget situations. They live in areas and in communities that are actively trying to devour them, they find themselves in relationships that not only do not serve them but are actively harming them. And have more children out of wedlock than any other group whilst also suffering higher birth mortality rates than their non-black counterparts. And as a collective, black women are the least likely to put themselves first. So it’s high time we change that. The black women in luxury movement isn’t just Gucci bags, lavish vacations, expensive cars, and luxury high rise condos (although it can be). No, it’s so much deeper than that. It’s about black women not only seeing images of themselves in places and spaces where we once thought were only reserved for our non-black counterparts, it’s about a space where we can unapologetically put ourselves first and for once and…relax. Black women are known (unfortunately) for putting the world on our shoulders. From social justice causes to our families, to our communities, we are often seen as the backbones, the glue that holds everything together. But that sh*t is exhausting and I personally do not believe in doing any of that. Everyone else plays the game of self preservation except us and I don’t believe in playing by rules that no one else is following. However, it’s important to also note…

Black women are not a monolith. 

If you are a black woman like me, who has often been referred to as an “Oreo” by your black peers, you may be familiar with this topic. Yes, black women not only come in a wide range of skin shades, we come in a wide range of personalities, interests, likes, and dislikes. Some of us may align with stereotypes about us (and that’s fine), while others may find themselves on the complete opposite of the spectrum and many falling in the middle. And we hear black women say this all the time. However, when it comes to black women in luxury, there seems to be some sort of cognitive dissonance. Why all the sudden when black women want to shed the strong black woman trope (that serves everyone besides us) and luxuriate, we suddenly want to pretend all black women think the same? And no shade but it is mostly the social justice girlies (and they do important work) who seem to be at the forefront of shaming this movement. Some of the criticism from them is that the movement only praises Eurocentric standards of living, or that it excludes poor black women. I’m going to say this, and it may seem harsh but…not everything is for everybody. If you can’t relate to the black women in luxury movement, that’s absolutely fine but don’t negate the black women who can. Also, every other group is to some extent exclusionary. For example the LGBT community mainly focuses on issues, and topics that pertain to them (as they should) and yes, I understand there is a very real intersection, even many black women who identify with that community put their issues at the forefront. Furthermore, about the criticism that poor black women are being excluded, again it seems like every other race is allowed to have aspirational imaging, or movements without thinking about every single other person…but I digress. Again, if you can’t relate, you just can’t relate. There is always going to be something out of your reach, or something unattainable. That goes for everyone. Even the black women, in black women in luxury, are likely never going to be billionaires, or be able to buy ANYTHING  they want. And see, my problem is…

Yes, I love seeing black women WIN! 

And I see nothing wrong with that. Is it a crime(Nicki Minaj voice)!? Well, if you look at the ways in which black women serve everyone else, it is. If black women were to really put ourselves first and say f*ck y’all for real, I think a lot, if not most causes would collapse and the world would crumble. Am I being dramatic? Maybe. But honestly we have bolstered up almost every movement. Is that wrong? I don’t know. Do you think the world relying on the emotional and physical labor of black women while giving us nothing in return is wrong? That’s up for you to decide. Back to me wanting black women to win. It’s my greatest wish and desire that black women see no limit and do not limit themselves to only certain places, certain experiences, or certain people. That we see the world as our oyster because to be honest it is. Black women literally birthed the world economy as it is now (via the trans atlantic slave trade) so the way I see it, we are entitled to a piece of the pie. I love seeing black women flaunt their degrees, certificates, businesses, and other accomplishments. I also love seeing them flex their luxury cars, homes, vacations, purses, and jewelry. Whether they purchased it for themselves, or not. 

Anyway…

I really love that there is a luxury movement for black women. I don’t think there's really anything left for me to say, so i’ll end with this, black women should be way more entitled than we currently are. I firmly believe that if black women, as a collective, demanded the best out of life, it would serve us far better than serving as a footstool for everyone else in the world.