Black Woman

For the Black Woman who said she had enough

Going through the motion of getting up every day for the job she hated. Something had changed this was the job that was her saving grace. She was about to give up and they called her. They needed her talent and she was excited but the game had changed. Making sure every hair was in place; splash of color on the lips and she checks in the mirror .She doesn’t see her but the image that they have painted on her. She says she is ready for whatever comes her way.  Pulls into the parking lot and her breath hasten. Walking into the building she is psyching herself up like she is the headliner for the show. She greets her coworkers and she walks to sit at her desk it comes over her.

As a Black Woman we are nurturers like a cloak it just happens. It naturally comes upon us and a few take heed.  I was one of the few. We fix the problems when they happen. Everyone comes to us and even if we don’t know the answer we are on a rampage to find it and get the praise that we saved the day. We have the creative gene to put together a luncheon to feed many with a nickel and dime. Going into a meeting we are often the one not heard. That’s right we are the first one to attend, listen to what is said, raised our hands and speak and the answer isn’t accepted. A few minutes later someone paraphrases our suggestion and it’s accepted.  Maybe someone will speak up and say that’s what she just said but you sit there. You start acknowledging that your ideas are going forth just not with you as the author.

You lean on other Black Women who mentor you, advise you to keep a list of your accomplishments, and add them to your resume. The resume is looking impressive to others it’s just your self esteem has been battered with thinking that you’re not good enough. Until!

One day your eyes are opened when you realize all that you have done for the company, the revenue that was brought in, the motivation that you poured into employees who were subpar and were now eating at the head table. You look at the management team and you see all the hoops that you had to go through, the credentials, the degrees, and the silver platter was being presented to someone who had nothing but was a part of the good boys club. When you speak you are now demanding to be heard. You aren’t afraid but you’re no longer invisible. They try to label you as the Angry Black Woman to which you reply that you’re confident in whom you are but Angry you are not!

One day you wake up and have a serendipity moment because you finally see yourself in the mirror. You see the value that you bring to the table. You decide that this particular table is not one you want to ever eat from. You exhale when open the door to leave for work. You come into the building and greet everyone. They say there is something different about you. You smile and you say thank you! As you gather your belonging from your desk you have a sense of peace that comes over you. You are from a lineage of strong Black Women who have gone before you and paved the way. You are a Shirley Chisholm, Madam C.J. Walker, Carol Moseley-Braun, and Ursula Burns. Today you are a Black Woman who had enough and walked into your purpose! 

Blessings!

Submitted by:

Patricia A. Saunders

Blogger, Author, Poet

www.patriciaAsaunders.com