In Celebration of the Black Family

There are parts of our larger society that push messages and images that the Black family no longer exists in a "traditional" way. Visit any online comment section, or check the displays of many common products and you're led to believe that Black women are all single mothers with children from absent fathers. You'll think that Black men are mere shadows, always existing, but not in a tangible way.

The reality is, Black families are still going strong. Every narrative created by the settler colonial culture has been designed to denigrate minorities. If we buy into that mindset as a people, we will believe that our families are lost, that our women are "lazy" welfare queens with countless baby daddies, living in the ghetto with too many kids, uneducated, angry, and possess no real drive. We will believe our men are criminals, violent, up to no good, sex-obsessed boogeymen more interested in stealing and making babies than job prospects and bettering themselves.

We won't see the structural inequality that has not only persisted, but has been reinforced for generations. We won't see the racism so deeply embedded in our country that it's literally a part of the infrastructure. We certainly won't see positive examples of our families lifted up; only nuanced versions that meet certain criteria. How many dramas have you seen about Black families? How many comedies have you seen about Black Families?

We're more than just punchlines and stereotypes. Our families thrive in lanes that are typical and as well as those we've created for ourselves. Family looks like many things, but there are Black parents taking care of their children. There are aunts, uncles, and grandmothers stepping in as needed to offer support. Cousins, siblings, and step parents are loving and helping to raise the next generation. Why is it when extended family helps out in our community it is considered a failing?

So here's to Black families in all of their iterations. Here's to Black women being the most educated group. Here's to Black entrepreneurs, stay at home parents, and workers. Here's to Black men making better choices, knowing better, and doing better. Here's to Mr. Charlie down the block who looks out of his window every day to make sure the kids get to school safely. Here's to Ms. Lucy selling frozen cups during the summer. Here's to the neighborhood who won't let our children stray. Here's to the culture, the diaspora, the unifying breath of our ancestors, our overall family.