I Am an Intelligent Black Woman

English 101                             I Am an Intelligent Black Woman                                Alexis Martin

Kristen Kaschock                                                                                                                02/12/16

According to definition, identity is the fact of being who or what a person or thing is. Individuals embody multiple identities. One of my dominant self-identifiers is being an intelligent, black woman. In America, black women are already double minorities. As a result, there are many exclusive obstacles that they are presented with when trying to achieve greatness. This study was performed to help understand what it is like to be a member of this identity in modern-day America, highlight the history of intelligent black women, and analyze the applied definition of intelligence.

            It is the year 2016, and America’s First Lady herself is a highly intelligent black woman yet she still receives a lot of judgment and aversion. To some people, despite her degrees from Princeton and Harvard, she is undeserving of this office simply because she is black. As expressed by an identity participant, “To be a black woman in 2016 means navigating the world knowing that people will always perceive you to be a certain way, even if you’re not.” This statement also proves very true in my own life. For example, within the Drexel community, many have assumptions that since I am here enrolled in such a prestigious institution, it must be due to affirmative action or some other outside forces. People very seldom ever actually look at a black woman in today’s society without judgment. Weather this judgment happens internally, outward, direct or indirect, these prejudices are still very evident in our culture.   

            Although, prejudices and judgments stem from various places, a lot of them come from within our own black communities. Unfortunately, most women are never taught to love themselves. This is a problem that should have been addressed at home. One can not rely on the education system to instill these morals into our children. The majority of daily interaction are at home and according to research, “Common to all feminist traditions is the assertion that both science and gender, and to some extent racism, are social constructions that are constructed by individuals based on their daily interactions with others” (Pinder 65). Racism, including how one views her own race, starts at home. Young black women must be taught to love themselves by those they interact with on a daily basis.

            Black women have a rich yet heart breaking history. Though it begins way before this, my focus is the 1600s and beyond. During this time is when many black women in America were forced into slavery. During slavery, black women had little to no rights and were treated very inhumane. Though, blacks are not in legal physical bondage today, I think we are still enslaved mentally. Both of the women that I interviewed share this viewpoint. Furthermore, one participant said, “Black women in a literal sense aren’t in bondage today. But we still face some discrimination based on stereotypes.” A lot of the stereotypes we experience today, stem from prejudices verses actual facts. According to Ngwe, “Modern day slavery differs remarkably from ancient slavery in several ways according to Bales and Cornell” (2008). Ngwe has done prominent research and even he assures us that slavery is still in existence. They just don’t use chains and whips. It has just been modernized.

            In addition to preconceptions, the expectations of a black woman even within her own community are often unfair. In my experience, I have found that this is because black men do not have the same high regard for their black women as we do for them. My peer agreed with me. She said:

The biggest expectation of black women is being able to stay strong and stick by their men at all times. Being a “strong black woman” has been a stereotype ingrained in the black women of our society. We are supposed to take everything that is thrown at us and pretend that we are happy and ok. If black women show any emotions toward some of the obstacles they face, whether good or bad, they are deemed an “angry black woman”. As far as sticking by their man no matter what, this mainly deals with the notion that black woman should be with black men even if they don’t want to be with us. It’s ok for black men to date women of other races but as soon a black woman turns around and does the same thing, she is considered a sell out.

In addition to voicing the expectations of black women, this participant also expanded on that of black men. She highlights the double standard within the black community. Woman are expected to behave a certain way. Whereas men are allowed to do whatever they please and expect no negative retaliation from us black women. We are just supposed to support them even in their wrong doings.

            On average black women are more educated than black men. Though does that make us more intelligent? Some would argue that intelligence and education are not the same. I personally agree with this. I feel as though education pertains to standardized knowledge whereas intelligence is knowing how to analyze and apply that knowledge. With that being said, I do believe that though they are different there is a strong correlation between the two. Participant one feels as though it is possible to have just one without the other but Participant two disagrees. Participant two argues that they are the same for, “Going to school builds a person’s intelligence.” Though this is true, in my opinion, going to school is not the only way to build intelligence.