Women’s Issues

Welp. It’s still women’s history month…

…and there’s more things going on this month than a little bit!

This little pearl of wisdom comes from a quote attributed to Brooke Hampton. I instantly loved it until I read the entire quote, which is:

“Admire other people's beauty and talent without questioning your own. Let people live their truth without it threatening yours. Be truly happy when others are blessed. Learn from everyone, but compare yourself to no-one. Stop striving to be better than others and just work toward being better than who you were yesterday. Don't waste time pointing out other people's flaws or you won't have enough time to focus on all of yours.”

~Brooke Hampton

I love that even more!

I blame my slow on the uptake ways this week on starting a new unit and sitting with students attempting to make up in one day what should have been done over an entire trimester (#teacherlife). 🤦🏾‍♀️

But, I digress…

There have been a lot of frustrations being voiced on the interwebs while I’ve been working myself to new levels of “teacher tired” - like stopping Asian hate, Meghan and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah, and this whole discussion and “apology” thing surrounding Sharon O and Sheryl Underwood. For instance, while I was working out how to letter this (see the messy word containers on the left below), I came across this post by @ariadelsole.

I didn’t know anything about the exchange that occurred between Sharon O or Sheryl Underwood since I don’t watch the show. But, after seeing the post, I was highly interested in this discussion. I feel like outbursts and attacks like these typically follow a script for PR purposes (that is, unless 45 or Piers Morgan says it)…A script which coincidentally followed not long after this heated discussion when Sharon O “apologized”.

Fortunately, @kevinadamsdesigns feels similarly in regards to what I consider scripted responses and lettered a beautiful post to speak to it. Make sure to read the caption.

Sigh.

There’s this thing that Sharon O referred to when speaking about her friend, Piers Morgan, and her defense of his freedom of speech in constantly attacking Meghan Markle. She used the terms, “his truth”.

When I think about this original quote by Brooke Hampton, the part about letting people “live their truth without it threatening yours…” I feel I could do it if certain truths weren’t so damaging to my community. Piers Morgan, getting a pass from any network to be on television and social media every day to specifically attack a woman of color is damaging to women in general and specifically to women of color everywhere…though, not surprising, or unfamiliar, or uncommon, unfortunately.

And, yet, it’s amazing to see how both of these women, Underwood and Markle have held their composure during these attacks. That’s the burden to bear that comes with the skin.

In fact, the burden of having to hold one’s composure so tightly almost unraveled Markle to the point she contemplated suicide…and, in some instances, was met by disbelief about it. (Note to the entire world: Never take a suicidal threat or ideation, whether past or present, lightly. Like…just don’t.)

To be clear, I’m taking that part of Ms. Hampton’s quote totally out of context with the rest of it…Rest assured, the beauty of this quote is not lost on me. Nevertheless, at face value, that’s where I’m at with that part of it when it comes to statements like Sharon O’s on Piers Morgan.

If Piers Morgan could follow the actual intent of Ms. Hampton’s original quote, regardless of what he feels Meghan Markle’s intentions are in how she has chosen to live her life, perhaps his feelings about her would resolve themselves too.

It’s food for thought anyway. 🤷🏾‍♀️

However, that underlying women’s issue for some…the issue of having the extra burden of remaining calm while under siege, wrapped tightly inside darker skin as your only protection…no matter your station in life, it doesn’t ever seem to go away.

While I don’t judge the women who lose it when someone attacks them since it is their right….I also tip my hat in admiration to the beautifully, strong women who are able to hold it together in spite of the attack.