I LOVE BLACK WOMEN

​Ladies, I am not talking about your physique, sex appeal, hairstyle, the sway of your hips, or the stylish clothes that you wear.  What I have seen over the last few months culminating in the speech by Michelle Obama this week has motivated me to reflect on what is singularly unique about the vast majority of Black women.
 
I have always marveled at the way sisters can drop knowledge on someone with a smile and a twinkle in their eye.  She can cut you to the white meat and step off before you know you’ve been sliced.  You may even be smiling the entire time you’re being cut.  They can teach and preach without you realizing there was a sermon.  We all marvel at the ability of men like Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama to orate and present a rousing elocution of grand ideas and principles.  The real and utter truth is that most Black women do this day in and day out on a smaller scale.  They narrate, agitate, and direct our lives – Black men, girls and boys – each day.

No disrespect to former President Barack Obama, but his true genius was seeing who and what Michelle really is and what he could accomplish with her by his side.  Let’s get real, there is no President Obama without Michelle Obama.  This truth has played out in millions of households across America.  I digress. Let’s get back to the central thought of this blog post.
 
We have seen the genius of Black women on display writ large during this season of Covid-19.  From the original founders of Black Lives Matter – Alicia Garza, Patrice Cullors, and Opal Tometi, to the cadre of Mayors of major American cities: Keisha Lance Bottoms – Atlanta, GA, Lori Lightfoot – Chicago, IL, London Breed – San Francisco, we have seen them all display leadership and communication skills that gives me confidence in Black America.  It inspires and fuels me to face each day with optimism.

I cannot forget the one woman that has opened America’s eyes to the power and wisdom of Black women in a way that no one before her was able to do – Oprah Winfred.  Oprah Winfred has built a media empire using a mix of intellect, searing interviewing skills, business acumen and down home charm.   I remember Oprah Winfred doing the news broadcast in Baltimore years ago.  She has been on top as a media mogul for decades now.  At her essence she embodies that ability that Black women have to cut deep into the root of the issue and materialize the kernel of truth that if confronted can be a remedy or a balm to neutralize it.
 
Yes, I love Black women - my wife and my daughters.  I love, support, defend, learn from, promote, challenge, educate, listen to, am schooled by, and corrected by them each day.  They enrich and complete me.  Like Barack Obama, the single smartest thing I have ever done was to recognize and relentlessly pursue the precious gem that I needed to help support and guide me through this life.
 
Back to Mrs. Obama.  My response to watching her speech, particularly how she describes the current resident in the White House and the job he has done, was no less than how I have conducted myself when my favorite athlete scores.  I have watched the video clip several times to be sure I see and appreciate the expert skill and technique she used to slice and dice his record and character as president.  The hoots and hollers I shared were enough to bring the entire family into the room to see what was going on with me.  They all sat down and watched it too.  Yes, I love Black women.