Thick with Birds

As Black women, we often bear and grin as we fulfill the familial needs and toil the emotional labor set by those around us. All the while, we struggle to articulate our needs and come to terms with our emotions. Sitting at the crossroads of gender and race, Black women constantly navigate and negotiate the discrimination and disparities within these identities, trying to affirm their humanity amid heartache and misunderstanding. The historical criminalization of Black women's emotions as dangerous and irrational further alienates black women in terms of being taken seriously — black women’s emotions have been historically criminalized, stereotyped, and even ignored through pseudo scientific bases in biology. In a society demanding our constant self-sacrifice, openly discussing the expression of Black women’s rage allows us to destigmatize these emotions and unlock the power and value they can yield within our society.