The Next Generation

So my new favorite person in the whole wide world is a tiny, magical, gassy, baby boy named Porter Baker. I spent 3 days with him and had a blast- cant wait to do it again next month. I am now intent on showing my new baby exactly how ridiculous the stereotypes of African Americans are by being a Strong Black Woman. He will know better than to view random actions as confirmations of stereotypes: he’ll see that just because I get loud when I’m on the phone with my family, doesn’t mean all Black women are loud ALL the time. And just because I can become incensed about social issues doesn’t mean that im the “angry Black woman” who starts fights for no reason. Just because I’m a wonderful cook doesn’t mean I’m a morbidly obese “Mamie” whose sole purpose in life is to provide guidance and inspiration to the white folk. This particular little white baby boy will grow up expecting African American women to be forces of nature who listen to the still small voice of the spirit. He will know without a shadow of a doubt that Black women are painters, poets, scholars, entrepreneurs, CEOs, politicians, gentle yet firm mothers, faithful wives, and devout followers of the one true and living God. Instead of being surprised that a Black woman can speak standard American English, that she is not the promiscuous woman in the music video, or that she isn’t the inevitable welfare recipient- he will expect her to speak as eloquently as Frederick Douglas, be as chaste and virtuous as the woman in Proverbs 31:10-31, and have put her several college degrees to good use.
Porter won’t have to read about amazing Black women in books, He can just go over to Auntie La-La’s house.