Jessica Somersall
Currently, there is a noticeable gap in the validation of Black women and a notable mistreatment of Black bodies on social media. By validation I mean there is a lack of appreciation or acknowledgment of Black women. The invalidation of Black women and their bodies can be observed in the murder of Breonna Taylor, in the medical mistreatment of Black women's bodies, their oversexualization in the media, and the appropriation of trends.
For those who are not familiar with Breonna Taylor’s case, here is a recap: On March 13th of 2020, Breonna Taylor (26), was shot in her house by police due to misinformation in a drug investigation. Officers suspected that Breonna’s flat was being used to make and distribute drugs, and were granted a non-knocking search warrant that allows for police to abruptly search a person’s house if suspected of breaking the law. Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were asleep in her apartment."The officers exchanged fire with Kenneth Walker, a licensed gun owner who called 9-1-1 in the belief that the drug raid was a burglary. The officers fired more than 25 bullets... during the exchange [and] Ms. Taylor, who was an emergency medical technician, was shot eight times. She died on her hallway floor" (BBC News).
As of right now, only one of the three officers responsible for killing Breonna Taylor has been discharged from the police force. His termination letter stated that there was "an extreme indifference to the value of human life.” This statement only adds to the injustice Breonna Taylor faced and is a blatant disregard for Black bodies, and in this case, Black women’s bodies.
Historically, there has been injustice done to Black women’s physical bodies. This includes scientific and medical studies experimenting on the bodies of Black women. For example, J. Marion Sims (the Godfather of modern Gynecology studies) experimented on enslaved Black women without any anesthesia. After perfecting his techniques, he would then offer it to white women in Europe, who were sedated.
Another example of the invalidation of Black women bodies are childbirth medical statistics. Black women and Indigenous women are three-times more likely to die in childbirth than White counterparts. The same study also determined that Black and Indigenous women over the age of thirty are four-times more likely to die in childbirth. Medically, there is a discrepancy between Black women’s physical body and their counterparts. This further cements a lack of acknowledgment of how Black Women have been treated physically in the past, but also how Black women are still being hurt today.
In today’s social media, Black women’s bodies are either oversexualized or not validated. Their over-sexualization has always been prevalent in the media, from their hip to waist ratio to the size of their lips. Having your body type be replicated and not fully appreciated by the media is disheartening, especially when historically Black bodies were mocked and made to be caricatured in theatre (I am alluding to black face).
Black women historically also haven’t been granted the ability to vocalize their opinions, instead the media creates their own dialogue. Whether this is sexual assault: “if that little girl didn’t look so grown she wouldn’t have gotten raped”; promotion: “if you looked more professional, meaning your hair, you’d get the job”; or even assistance: “isn’t welfare enough?” There is always an underlying factor that media attaches to Black women’s bodies and places their circumstances on the whole race.
The media also invalidates trends started by Black women that have made a comeback. Trends like big gold hoops, cornrows, box braids, laying your edges, and various hairstyles that protect your hair. These trends are appropriated by others. It is trendy to be a Black woman, but only Black women are showing appreciation to each other. How do we combat this? Begin supporting Black businesses. Understand what you are taking from a culture that had to rebuild themselves. Everything is trendy for those who aren’t Black and don’t understand what it means to be a Black person in society today.
Here are the links to a few Black-owned businesses:
Amina Abdul Jillil Neon Bow - https://fave.co/3cH70ek
LaQuan Smith Available on LuisaViaRoma - https://bit.ly/3dGZwt7
Thebe Magugu Available at 24S - https://bit.ly/3dHnlkN
Sources
N. (2020, June 20). Breonna Taylor: Louisville officer to be fired for deadly force use. BBC News. Retrieved October 1, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53111709
Lynch, S. (2020, June 20). Fact check: Father of modern gynecology performed experiments on enslaved Black women. Retrieved October 8, 2020, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/06/19/fact-check-j-marion-sims-did-medical-experiments-black-female-slaves/3202541001/
Prather, Cynthia et al. “Racism, African American Women, and Their Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Review of Historical and Contemporary Evidence and Implications for Health Equity.”Health equity vol. 2,1 249-259. 24 Sep. 2018, doi:10.1089/heq.2017.0045
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