[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
Lyrics provided by LRCLIB
