Blackcurrant

[Anaiah Muhammad] All around the world Real niggas going through real nigga shit But a voice that's seldom heard The voice of the Black woman They silently scream So imna take a step back Give our sisters a chance to amplify their voice Lei, tell us how you feel [Aleisia Miller] As a Black woman I stand at the intersection of racism and sexism in the shadow of the strong black women trope which strips me of my femininity and denies me any perception of delicacy Denial Of a basic range of human emotion Denial of empathy and sympathizing Not allowed sadness, fear, longing My emotions are only allowed to be perceived as different shades of anger and resentment When I cry over the limitations put on my humanity When I am scared of what age my nephew will be perceived as a threat My desire to be held and handled with fragility It only translates as bitterness to ears that hear me My words, my thoughts, my plight, and my ballad Is only valid when someone else speaks for mine The skin, the features, the style that I wear Is only admired when its costumed and capitalized I’m hypersexualized and undesirable I must be exceptional for crumbs but if I demand more, I am entitled If I reject it entirely, I am lazy Living against pressure and contradiction Is the day to day life Of living as a Black woman