While the majority of the Black community wants us to embrace gender equality, there is a struggle in the community about gender identity and sexuality. But the constructs of gender and sexuality, as we currently know it, are used to oppress us.
As Europeans began their assault on Africa, they forced their ideas of gender and sexuality onto Africans, who had for centuries acknowledged a spectrum of identities. Today, even with division in the community, we're beginning to return to those roots.
More and more Black artists are setting the example of reclaiming their gender and sexual expression. Artists like Lil Nas X, Janelle Monae, and Lizzo are putting all of themselves out there, regardless of others' expectations or opinions.
As these celebrities lead the charge, they show that reclaiming our bodies is a powerful step towards dismantling the anti-Black ideals that have long shaped our standards around beauty, worth, and identity.
It is a radical act of self-love and self-empowerment that allows us to embrace the diverse range of bodies, features, and experiences within the Black community. This reclamation involves unlearning deeply ingrained biases and prejudices about what constitutes valid beauty standards. How does our beauty inspire you?