everything black women say is scripture.
A Reposted Reminder
this was originally printed in Sunday Service Announcements on Jul 14, 2024, where the lovely invited me to guest post. But given the way the vibes are rn, I thought it worthy for recirculation.
Good morning, saints and sinners!
I came here today to do two things:
Remind every Black woman within the reach of my keystroke exactly who the fuck she is. (spoiler: the answer is everything. she is everything.)
Announce and reflect on a truth rarely proclaimed: everything Black women say is scripture.
As with all sermons, we gon’ ground this in some text:
“the shadow obscuring this complex Black woman’s intellectual tradition is neither accidental nor benign. Suppressing the knowledge produced by any oppressed group makes it easier for dominant groups to rule because the seeming absence of dissent suggests that subordinate groups willingly collaborate in their own victimization.” (Patricia Hills Collins, 2000)1
“a people do not throw their geniuses away…if they are thrown away, it is our duty as artists, scholars, and witnesses for the future to collect them again for the sake of the children,…if necessary, bone by bone.” (Alice walker, 1983).2
I’m talking directly to Black women right now. All of us.3 Because I know we are tired. I know we saw all this shit coming. I know we been working twice as hard, for twice as long, on twice as many things. We getting degrees, we getting therapy, we starting businesses. We are keeping our balance, and still raising our families, and starting movements. And “they”4 are reducing our rights, enacting multiple genocides, and starting fucking podcasts. It’s always “Listen to Black women” when the truth comes out, but never when we bring up that truth in the first place.
And yet, everything Black women say is scripture.
First, Patricia Hill Collins reminds us that Black women have a longstanding tradition of intellectual pursuit. We been about this life. One of the first women to talk her shit period was Maria Stewart. She addressed the masses when women of all races were not allowed to do so. And what did Maria use her voice to do? Call out to her sisters. To speak truth to power. Black women have always possessed this intellect. We have always found ways to share and preserve that intellect for other women and future generations to uncover and build upon. However, it's crucial to understand that 'intellectual' here is not confined to the walls of academia. Intellect flourishes in our communities, our oral histories, our art, and our activism.
Then Collins reminds us that we have been intentionally silenced. If suppressing our knowledge aids in our oppression, and makes us seem collaborators in our own victimization, then it is liberation and revolution to speak our truth.
So when I tell you “everything Black women say is scripture” I’m saying there is nothing “not enough” about you. I’m saying everything you ever felt it on your heart to say, to preserve, to turn into art, is SACRED as fuck, okay?
And how do I know? Because Alice Walker said our ancestors' genius is embedded in the very fabric of our existence. If it has been discarded or overlooked, it is our sacred duty to reclaim and preserve it. “…if necessary,…bone by bone.” See also Malcolm X’s creed “by any means necessary.” 5
That means look inside.
That means the answer is in your marrow.
That means don’t let them break no more of your precious bones.
We owe it to ourselves, and future generations to gather these pieces, no matter how fragmented, and restore them to their rightful place.
Because everything Black women say is scripture.
When I say "scripture" I mean our experiences and truths serve as valuable guides for navigating life. I’m saying everything you remember about your granny and her momma, and everything that ever happened to you, Black woman, embodies a deep well of wisdom. These experiences connect us to our ancestors, our foremothers and our contemporaries, and our sisters yet to be, becoming part of a historical record and testament to the strength and resilience of Black women across generations.
Do not answer them when they call you mammy. Or Jezebel. Or welfare-queen. Or even imply it.
Do not believe them when they say your concern isn’t valid. Or it didn’t happen how you thought.
Do not swallow the lie that you are not enough, right now, as you are, just because you want more for yourself. Neither swallow the lie that you have to want less. Your dreams are scripture too.
Black women have always been at the forefront of intellectual and cultural movements. Our contributions are vast and varied, transcending conventional boundaries. We break ceilings. and records. and silences. We are the keepers of wisdom, the tellers of truths, the creators of change. We built this shit too. It is time we recognize and celebrate this in its entirety.
So. Talk yo shit, sib. Cus every word, every creation, and every truth you share is scripture. Let the church say Amen!
Love y’all. Mean it. If you love me back, Buy Me A Book!
-B
You need to read Black Feminist Thought. Just take my word for it, and just go get the book.
In Search of Our Mother’s Garden’s is a seminal womanism text. It is where the word ‘womanism’ is first defined, and you might as well just add it to your cart since you buying books now.
Meaning: she her and they them. those who consider themselves religious and those who consider themselves spiritual as well as the totally unbothered. the academics and the street smart. disabled. chronically pained. able bodied. neurodivergent. queer. kinky. vanilla. i mean every single non man who is also Black.
Meaning: not Black women.
See also Proverbs 31 "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue."
I’m so glad you recirculated this! Extremely timely and a necessary reminder for me. 💕
Forever a classic.