“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” – Audre Lorde
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Black women we are often portrayed as being unworthy of love. This is a message we get in media and also larger society. It’s difficult to not internalize the words of others and believe that you are worthy of love like everyone else. I’ve struggled with my self esteem and have felt that I wasn’t as pretty or smart as other people however I was lucky to be praised often in my home and that protected me from a larger society where I was always led to think I wouldn’t be the one who was chosen and considered beautiful. When a woman turns on the television or opens a magazine and does not see herself represented or only represented in a negative way, it can leave her feeling like she isn’t beautiful, or maybe she just isn’t worth loving.
A first step to achieving self-love is to acknowledge and list all of the things you love about yourself. We often spend so much time being critical of ourselves that we forget that there are things that we love about ourselves. It can be helpful to write a list of things that you love about yourself, and create a list of all of the Black women in your life that inspire you.
Another step is to educate yourself on the Black women who inspire you and/or have changed the course of history. Remember there are some amazing Black women who have been trailblazers in history. Another step s is to create goals for yourself and work on achieving those goals. Remember you deserve success just as much as anyone else.
Finally it is important to find a space, and create platforms dedicated to you. This is why it’s important to have spaces dedicated to the upliftment of Black women. Remember we’re our sister’s keeper.
