Black Women: Liberating their Voice & Spirituality
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Black Women: Liberating their Voice & Spirituality
Introduction
Historically, African American women have endured racial and gender barriers. The perceived problems could positively impact African American women concerning their actual leadership practices. Duality in their roles is one of the challenges that African American women have to experience daily. In other words, they are judged based on their gender and the color of their skin. The problem of looking around the globe based on race and skin color continues to act mainly in the African American women’s lived experiences, putting them at a cross point between race and gender through particular social contexts. The shaping of group experiences is actively aided by intersectionality. African American women are categorized based on race and gender duality, hence placing them in marginalized positions and excluded as agents of knowledge. The challenges that African American women and girls have to deal with daily are documented.
The cases of high unemployment rates for African American women talk more about how harder at times it can be for them to be considered at a given job position. The existence of a vast wage gap between African American women and other women shows how Black women are undervalued and underpaid even though they go to work every day. The challenges that African American women endure should serve as a reminder that they can use their voices to find success even though how African American women are supposed to act in different places and roles is still subject to the unspoken rules. For instance, African American girls are disproportionately suspended at schools, and it shows how early the silencing of Black women begins. African American women are slowly changing the narrative by making their voices heard in contemporary society. More than any other group of girls, Black girls stand high chances of seeing themselves as leaders. The paper explains how black women have used their voice, cultural beliefs, and spiritual practices to be seen as pivotal within and outside of their minority while projecting a positive, impactful and a new narrative of African American women.
In a school setting, the qualities that women of color consider as leadership skills are regarded as defiance or rather “talking back.” Girls’ rights to learn should not be forfeited based on their assertiveness, loudness, or even holding a particular opinion or belief. Its more than a privilege to work in an organization that is dedicated to breaking down all the possible obstacles for African American women and girls, concerning letting the Black women air their voices and speak on areas that need to be readdressed. In academic administration, African American women are suffering double phenomenon oppression, first as women and secondly as women of color. The traditional customs, restrictions, and American history, intimately ties the small numbers of women of color (Wilson, 1989). Although women of color have been substantially underrepresented in terms of the academic field, making their voices heard has led to a significant increment of minority numbers in higher education, most fueled by legislation and executive orders, among others. As a portion of all Ph. Ds, there has been a growth in African American women administrators and women Ph. Ds, although to a lesser extent. However, sexism, lower wages, and professional impediments are some of the burdens that need to be addressed to achieve parity for African American women and girls in academic administration. The laxity of affirmative action enforcement has mainly orchestrated the slow growth of these numbers.
Higher education opportunities for a given person can be shaped by living with multiple marginalities. To begin with, African American women are struck by lived contradictions. As a professor, one should be an Anglo; being an African American woman is not being an Anglo. In other words, Black women should portray two identities, and they should act like them and unlike them. Living in a world that is dictated by discourses that fail to address the realities of Black women, do not affirm their intellectual contribution and a close examination of their societies (Turner, 2002). In a real sense, can an African American woman be both women color and academic professionals without compromise? Readers who have come across the discussions of professional Black women discussing matters related to their job experiences might find the stories of ambiguous empowerment familiar. Same as how other great women professionals work their way up in male and white-dominated jobs, African American women with high job positions have many stories to tell concerning their struggle based on the anomaly of gender and race. It is through confidence development that they can execute competence and authority, hence accomplishing the exercise of their professional power. Black women bravely endure gender and race inequality and confidently deal with discriminatory treatment to achieve greater heights in their professional careers.
Historically, the participation of African American women in the labor force has projected higher rates and more consistency as compared to White women and those of other races. Even with the projection of high levels of employment, African American women have struggled to achieve the economic equity with the perceived majority groups due to workplace double burden they have to endure based upon ethnic and gender discrimination. Such indecency is the basis for significant job-related stresses that African American women have to go through to achieve the little sums. Perhaps, such challenges make African American women at any cost outstanding, concerning their advancements and finance status as compared to other women. Although there few studies that specifically highlight the African American women and the kind of stress they face in their work, some investigations have been conducted with White women being the frame guide. Generally, women’s psychological well-being is primarily benefited by work. Still, the existence of social classes, ethnicity, interpersonal surroundings, status, and quality of work are subject to the existing differences and stresses.
There more daily report stress reported among the working Black women as compared to non-working Black women. Working African American mothers stand higher chances of suffering from coronary heart problems with an increase in the number of children. In other words, there are numerous potential sources of stress among African American women, although the research is methodologically flawed. African American women stand high chances of engaging in less secure jobs compared to their White women counterparts, with little benefits and low wages than those held by other races. Despite higher rates of participation of African American women in the labor force, their pay and occupational job status are lower than any other race or gender group. Lewis & Neville (2015) argued that perceived discrimination negatively affects Black people, more specifically, women. According to numerous studies, job salaries and economic rewards as some of the enormous source of pressure among the African American women despite their efforts to liberate themselves from financial need.
American society myth has long been categorized by open mobility and credo of quality; however, those elites who have been entrusted in decision making have remained rooted in favor of the like-kind. To be specifically an African American woman, one faces exclusion from getting legal rights, healthcare, civil services, among others. It is the only small percentage on the perceived “majority” believe that the “wrong” gender and ethnic minority can produce qualified personnel to work in various industries (Epstein,1973). Some notable figures, such as Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, Michelle, among others, are few of the African American women who have managed to influence the majority or somewhat change the narrative of the perception of Black women. For instance, Oprah Winfrey had faced racial and gender discrimination in her efforts to be one of the standout Black women actresses and a talk show host. Oprah has changed the narrative of the more significant population while influencing the society at large on the view of African American women. As a Tv producer, philanthropist, actress, and media executive, she is a role model for the majority of the people aspiring to reach even greater heights.
Many African American women have tried to change the societal perception of Black women as inferiors through the creation of brands. In other words, most African American women are striving to achieve financial success and prove to the larger population that they should not be judged based on their skin color. As a result, society at large is slowly trying to integrate the Black women in the workforce since the whole narrative is changing. In the United States, Black women have fully committed a considerable number of fashion trends and beauty, which has received applause and endorsements in various magazine pages, not mentioning their recycling on the contemporary fashion runways. Fashion has played a significant role in liberating African American women to creatively impress the world, despite the denial of their civil liberties (Govers, & Schoormans, 2005). In the past, the contribution of Black women in various industries was largely downplayed despite the visible difference they made. The ability of African American women influencers to symbolize hope and racial progress is something that has created a positive impact on the vast majority of people in society. Many Black women have struggled to achieve what is now celebrated as a success.
The spirituality of Black women has strongly been linked with numerous positive outcomes. Thinking and believe among Black women is significantly influenced by their spirituality. Raging from high rates of mammography, improved status of health perception to the ability to fight poverty, spirituality plays a part in ensuring a positive, healthy outcome among African American women (Mattis, 2002). Both spirituality and healthy relationship are the basis for public health intervention. African American women form part of the most significant women color groups who actively engage in religion. It isn’t easy to elaborate on what religion entails specifically. However, spirituality may refer to an internal quality that eases the factor of connectedness with one’s self, nature, and other people. People may also regard spirituality as one’s acceptance of a Supreme Being. To African American women, they approach spirituality as an inherent quality of all humans that concerns the belief and faith that affirms eternal life as opposed to self-believing. For many Black women, spirituality and religion are more relevant concerning overcoming life challenges.
The survey conducted by the Washington Post stated that nearly all African American women are religious or rather believe in Supernatural powers. In the United States, extensive research on Black women revealed that the most religious group in the nation is African American women. According to the same survey, 74% of African American women emphasized the importance of “living a religious life.” Remaining on the same matter, only 57% of white women saw the need to live a religious life. However, in the time of desperation, difficulties, and turmoil, a staggering 87% of African American women turned to their faith to help them get over. The number is way too far from any other group. Across both the education and income levels, the higher priority to Black women is living a religious life as opposed to bearing children or even committing to marriages. The calling of faith surpasses the life goal of having a good career.
Many African American women cannot be separated from their faith. Religion is such an integral thing in their nattering through Bible study. The majority of White women are as well religious, but what accounts for the racial gap is probably cultural influences. Even playing a significant role in linking the religion and African American women is the kind of gospel music they play in the church. Black women are more likely to have spent their childhood listening to gospel music, not mentioning their guardians who emphasized spending the whole Sunday in the church or Bible school during the summer periods. Irretrievably intertwined into their culture, the devotion and spiritual faith of African American women concerning God connect and help them to sustain their dignity in the presence of unjust confrontation and discrimination (Bacchus & Holley, 2005). According to theologians, oppression is one factor that renders the majority of women into religion as compared to men. In the history of the United States society, the women of the African American race have been scandalized and mistreated the most as they strain to collectively and individually wrestle the jeopardy of social status, racism, and sexism. Such cases may play a pivotal role in African American women turning to their religious faith to seek relief and redemption.
The issue of racism between African American women and other minority races still exist, though not so often and frequent. Some of the minorities are deeply rooted in old beliefs that Black people are of the lowest class. The fact that all the minority races face discrimination in their day-to-day lives makes it even harder for them to engage in racial profiling cases (Newton,1973). Being discriminated based on one’s race is heartbreaking; thus, the majority of them learn through the experience that they too face racial discrimination at one point or another. Also, in a society where once is considered a minority, it is hard to influence your race to turn against other races. For instance, in the United States, the majority of people from the Hispanic race are uneducated; thus, they stand next to zero chance of discriminating their African American counterparts, who are more economically well situated as compared to them. There is significant support among the minorities in their quest to adopt ethnic and racial diversity in social sectors.
The predominant White supremacists are perhaps the more significant influencers of racism and discrimination than other minorities. In the various workforce, Black women make their voices heard in an attempt to influence the diversity at work placed based on race and ethnicity despite the unfair treatment they come across on matters related to hiring decisions, promotion, and work advancements. What makes the issue of race to be a common thread is American society’s historical tapestry. Race discourse tends to incline on the African American women’s lived experiences based on “peculiar institutions” of captivity in the United States (Newton,1973). In other words, it is mostly in the face of white people where Black women are considered different and who require special treatment as compared to that of the whites. The generalization of people of African decency contextualizes Black people as different species other than humans, thus justifiable by enslaving them. In other words, the majority of the minorities treat African American women with respect on the basis that their respective races are as well not regarded as superior.
For quite a long time, African American women have been subject to scrutinization that rendered every important decision toward influencing society at large. Despite all the life pressures, Black women have managed to shape their life choices in various ways. In games and sports, Black women have helped to instill confidence and self-esteem in society at large, thus lowering the levels of depression. In the past, women of the African American race faced both gender and racial discrimination. Over the years now, female athletes of the African American race have the narrative of their particular sports and are trailblazers of the same. The obstacles faced by the Black women sports pioneers to earn the glorification paved the way for the current generation of the sport’s greats and what everyone celebrates. For instance, Louise Stokes and Picket Tidye were racially discriminated against taking part in the 1932 Olympic games that were held in Los Angeles despite their qualification for the event (Darvin & Sagas, 2017). However, in 1936, the two were allowed to participate in the 1936 Olympics that were held in Berlin, and they became the first women of African American decency to participate in the Olympic games. Their bravely and confidence cannot be downplayed as it created a way to other Black women superstars who represent their countries in various sports avenues.
In the political avenue, the first African American woman to be elected to the Texas Senate was Barbara Jordan. Barbara actively fought for the rights of immigrant citizenship. The courage portrayed by some of the African American women politicians created a fathomable reality that Black women possess’ qualities of being great leaders in society. Their contribution to issues relating to social distress and democracy reimagining created a landscape that represented all the races. Their acknowledgment accompanies the impacts of African American women in the United States democracy and political avenue. Untiringly, some African American women politicians redefined the transformation of the United States.
Michelle Obama is one of the Black women communication icon who is an American attorney and was the United States first lady from 2009 to 2017. She is a role model for the vast majority of women and actively advocated toward poverty awareness, education, and public health. Besides, Michelle offered support to the American designers and was regarded as a fashion icon. Her passion for education is outspoken. She has also managed to change the lives of many people by increasing women’s access to careers related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (Van & Zeidenberg, 2014). Atima Omara is one of the notable Black women at the intersection of pollical influence. Omara is the founder of the Omara Strategy Group, which deals with consultancy practices, aimed at empowering Black women politically through the strengthening of advocacy organization and winning of political campaigns. For 15 years, Atima has dedicated herself to helping women and youths in the political processes.
In social media, there numerous African American women who have a significant influence. Oprah Winfrey, in particular, has more than 41 million followers on twitter alone. It shows that her influence on social media can impactful to her followers. Oprah uses multiple social media avenues to update her followers about global issues, advertising her works, and of course, giving insight to people. She always holds a relentless word of positivity and individual-empowerment. In matters relating to religion, Rev. Austin Channing Brown is one of the greatest African American women spiritual ministers. Through her ministry, Channing helps schools, nonprofit organizations, and religions to exercise genuine inclusion. Her book s” I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness,” influences many people as talks about her experiences as an African American woman in white evangelical spaces.
Conclusion
To conclude, African American women are still underrepresented in multiple avenues of society. They are racially discriminated at schools, workplaces, and even in the social context. The participation of Black women in a social and professional setting is slowly changing the perception of people toward African American women. A good number of African American women have come up with byproducts and brands that have not only influenced the Black community but also the society at large. Their inventions and hard work have portrayed nothing less than greatness. Also, Black women have proven to be strongly intertwined with their spiritual beliefs. More than any other race and gender, women of African decency turn to religion in the time of turmoil to seek relief and redemption. On matters relating to the securitization of Black women by other minorities, there are very few cases where minority races directly provoke African American women. Moreover, Black women have managed to influence sporting events, politics, music industries, among others. Many Black women are active in communication, politics, social media, and religion, and their influence in society is fathomable.
References
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