If you’re sick and tired of watching some people (in particular, some Black men) sit back and not only say some of the ugliest things about Black women on social media or in real life, but also say nothing when encountered with other men who do such things, you’re not alone. It’s just sad at this point. But the good news is that there are men out here who have no time for the deeply entrenched self-hate and disrespect. Actor Lakeith Stanfield of Atlanta is one of those men.
While working on a new project, Stanfield said he was riding in a car “from point A to point B” when the driver he was chatting with started bemoaning Black women for being too difficult. According to Stanfield, the man said, “Black women, they’re the hardest to deal with, man. They’re the most f–ked up version of a woman.” Stanfield strongly disagreed.
“I said, ‘Whoa, whoa, wait, you talking to the wrong person man because as far as I’m concerned, the most beautiful aspect of Black women is that they’ve been through the most sh-t you could go through in this country,'” he said while capturing his thoughts on video. “You know what I mean? They really have been through the most sh-t and that’s a beautiful thing. That’s something that should empower you to be a better version than what the f–k you are. Instead of having you feel beat down by it, it empowers you to be better. So the woman that’s been through the most, that’s the one I want on my side. Because she understands when I go through some sh-t she knows how to deal with the sh-t because she done been through it all. And that’s a beautiful thing. Don’t ever throw ’em on the back burner like they f–ked up because you don’t understand what the f–k they went through. That’s b—h ni–a sh-t.”
Stanfield’s feelings could come from his appreciation for his mother. In an interview with The Cut last year, he talked about his extremely humble beginnings and how she managed to be a ray of light who encouraged him to think outside of the box despite all they had to endure when he was growing up.
“She somehow cast spells on us to have us re-create our perspective of what was going on,” he said. “I remember she one time told me she was giving us all salmon, and we’d never had salmon before, we were excited like, Woo! This is a delicacy! And then she was like: It’s chitlins. We couldn’t tell the difference, ’cause we’d never had it before,” he laughs. “She was a professional at molding perspectives to just keep us light, keep us laughing. She was a beautiful beacon of hope for us. She keeps me going.”
How can you not love this guy?
Check out his condemnation of “b—h ni–a sh-t” that is sure to warm your heart, ladies:
Image via Splash
