You don’t have to watch many hip-hop videos to realize that black women’s bodies are not given the respect they deserve. Rappers are allowed to hire women by the truckload, demanding that they shake and shimmy for pennies by the hour. These exorbitant images are tattooed into the psyches of our daughters, who can be turned into hoochie mamas in training if we’re not careful. If your four-year-old child knows how to “drop it like it’s hot” before she learns her ABCs, then you’ve got a serious problem.
Here are some reasons that the body of the black woman is sacred, and I don’t want you to forget them:
1) Because there is nothing sexier and more beautiful than the African American woman
You are special and highly unique. Whether you are the woman who proudly carries a few pounds in the right places or the one who likes to keep it slim, black women are second-to-none. There are some black men who will recognize your value, and some who will not. Make sure you choose the right ones.
2) Because your life depends on it
We live in a world that teaches us that casual sex is as normal as picking up bread at the grocery store. Someone buys you a drink, takes you to dinner, and then expects you to put your life in his hands by sharing bodily fluids; does that make sense? What happened to the old-fashioned notion of taking your time, perhaps even a few months to get to know someone? At the very least, you reduce the chances that you’ll have to nervously receive the results of your next HIV test. You do realize that HIV is affecting black women more than any other group, right? Do you know your man’s HIV status for sure?
3) Because you are better than he’s treating you
Men value a commodity based on how easy it is to obtain. That’s why you see women in the strip club who are as beautiful as Beyonce, but will never get “Beyonce respect.” There’s a way to be attractive to a man without letting him have access to every piece of you. In fact, he is waiting for you to tell him how you expect to be treated.
4) Because your daughter is watching
Our kids are like little sponges, absorbing all the decisions we make. If you don’t respect yourself and make poor relationship choices, don’t be surprised when your daughters, nieces and baby sisters emulate your behavior a few years later. In order to effectively love your children, you must be sure to find a way to love yourself.
5) Because you want to keep your soul and your sanity
The significance of romantic interaction tends to decline as a function of the total number of encounters we experience. In other words, sex is meant to be a special process, and some believe that you lose a little bit of yourself in every experience. In order for you to be whole for the person you are meant to be with forever, consider raising the bar before giving other men access to your womb.
6) Because real love doesn’t start in the bedroom
Needless to say, black people are very unique. The culture of baby mamas and reckless sexual choices seems to have really come into style. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If your goal is to obtain real, everlasting love, I’ll share a little secret with you: it doesn’t start with sex. A Hot body can be easily replaced, but if a woman has a grip on his mind, most good men will keep coming back. Connections must be deeper than the flesh.
