As Women’s Herstory Month 2021 comes to a close, there are different layers, which needs to be grappled with. Moving into the world of Black America, and her gardens, one particular viewpoint comes to mind, as it pertains to femininity. For one, we have the issue of how young girls and women are treated within the community. When it comes to their womanhood, are many of them treated with the tenderness, which is required of them for that age? How are young, Black American maidens spoken to? Is their girlhood considered sacred, and deserving to be treated with care? What is the tone and the quality of timber, that is projected onto them, within the community? Such are pertinent questions when it comes to navigating through different terrain. All of this speaks to the level of value for Black American girls. How are they treated and valued is the question?
You can tell the way the femininity, and girlhood of young girls is being treated, based on how they are spoken to! How is their girlhood safeguarded through the delicacy and gentility of words? A brief look and examination of different factions within Black America highlights that there are traces of indifference when it comes to the safekeeping and safeguarding of Black American girl children. Of course, there are those factions of care and gentility. However, there are too many members within the community, who do not care for the gentility of young, Black American maidens and girls. You have to ask yourselves where that comes from. What are the labors and treasures of care, when it comes to how Black American girls and women, are treated as princesses, and as young maidens of Black America’s gardens? Furthermore, what is the level of compassion, which is given to our girl children, when they are hurt, angry, or in pain, from the toxicity, which is spewed upon them?
The truth of the entire matter is that intense aggression, is projected upon how our girl children are treated. There is a lot of hostility, and ugliness directed their way. Yes, it does come from male members, within the community. Simultaneously, it also comes from Mother figures, as well. Aggression and hostility are projected upon them. In addition, there is also a particular level of abuse, jealousy, and envy, which is used against young girls and maidens, by the older generation. Bitterness and wanting young girls to experience that “hard livin'” and disappointments, within their own life, is rampant. The truth of the matter is that you have a particular group of older, Black American women, who want to control, rule over, and make the lives of young, Black American girls (and women). Too bad such dames didn’t remember the golden rule, that if you take care of the young Maidens, within your community, they will take care of, you! Yes, when you are so rampant, and filled, with the desire to destroy other Black American women, you don’t see that.
Listening to online stories, and the experiences of Black American women, who convey their stories about abuse from older, Black American women (especially, mothers), you begin to see the level of hypocrisy, with Black American. The Maidens are expected to be loyal to a community, which does not serve, honor, or reciprocate holistic well-being back to them. That’s the Truth! They are expected to always be there for abusive mothers, and toxic masculinity, which sees them, as disposable! That’s the truth! Furthermore, it must be understood that certain dynamics are crafted and created to establish a certain narrative for their decor. In addition, what is even more heinous is the idea, that they should be scolded, should they strive for better; or decide to escape the community. Now, that’s the insanity of it all!
The fact-of-the matter is that young, Black American girls are scapegoated for the faults of the community. Too many of our peculiar flowers are having their petals torn and worn. Their flowers are being eroded, and worn out. Some are even being chopped away, due to the harsh words and emotional violence projected against them; all because they are, young! You will have older women speak with hostility and disdain, for the younger women. In addition, you will see older generations of women, fail to teach younger dames, the mysteries and treasures, which are connected to womanhood. It’s something, desperately needed within our community. And, yet, too many older, Black American women, treat them as competitive entities to abuse and mistreat; a source of disdain to abuse, in order to feel, powerful!
A must-needed revival for maidenhood, and the young women that birth it, is needed. In fact, it is necessary, and it’s necessary, now! For the sake and Soul of Black America, it is needed, and needed, now! One of the treasures of having Maidens (within any community) is that they beautify the culture. In their natural state, maidens create a balanced state, in spreading healing. They decorate the feminine presence, within the land, and community, as a whole. Furthermore, they establish certain spaces, for renewal (and rebirth). Maidens are critical, within every garden. It is they who establish nutritious spaces of wellness, and decorate the feminine aura. They attract resources and riches to the garden. Yet, if the maidens are sent auras of destruction, hatefulness, and abusive tones (times which are used to treat them like haggard rags for the cleaning up of other people’s mess), how are they able to attract beauty to the community? How are they given the ability to present nourishment throughout the community? Without the holistic representation of one’s maidens, a culture and people, stay in a stagnant state of representation. Such a state only creates the destruction of a people. In all honesty, it is apparent, that a number areas, within Black America are addicted to struggle and destruction. Too many older generations of Black American women appear to be so committed to the notion of surviving, struggling, or joining movements, which demeans their femininity. Perhaps, that’s why young maidens are not cherished, in the way that they should. When you disregard the power of femininity and feminine decor, as vital components for a people, then it’s easy to dismiss the creativity of the feminine. That’s real!
Since, the 1970’s when famed writer and womanist, Alice Walker, wrote, “In Search Of Our Mother’s Gardens,” the call has been made. Young Maidens (and willing Mothers), it’s time to return to the gardens. It’s more than time to return to those Negro gardens, grown in authentic US soiling. It’s more than time to permit our bodies to blossom and bloom within them. Please let it be known, that the term, Black American is a term for those descendants of the enslaved people, who built the United States of America. Let’s make that very clear. You don’t get to “be Black American,” simply because you “relate” to the term. If one parent is Black American, then you are half-Black American. Though, depending on if it’s the Mother of Father, determines how close you are to the authenticity of the culture. For it is the Mother, who passes on culture through the daughters. And the invisibility of Black American mothers, and women, is coming to a close. Of course, that’s one of the violent factors, in itself. A number of foreign dames (regardless of their coloring) enter into the riches of Black American gardens, with heirs of superiority, as if they are “more valuable,” than the actual women of the culture. Due to those auras of self-hatred, within Black America, this idea of otherness is projected as a status symbol, for the representation of the community. For this insane and destructive reason, non-Black Americans (and especially, non-Black American women or those with Black American fathers) are deemed, as elevating authentic Black American culture, and her people. That, too, will come to a change. Nevertheless, it will begin with the Maidens. Their revival and restoration is a must. The projecting, and awakening, of their feminine is a necessary tool. In addition, maintaining that holistic connection with, the land, is a necessary practice, as well. For in this land-the United States Of America-a new story of Blackness ( a new culture of Blackness) was created. It was holistic and it was meant for the wellness, and continuation, of our people. Our channeling into the Earth became the template, for our creativity. Throughout decades and centuries of time, our flowers consistently bloomed. We are peculiar flowers, who made a foreign land, become a familiar perfume. It was nutritious and it safeguarded our sanity, in navigating through hostile, terrain.
As Black American flowers continue to blow in US soil, whisper sweet nectar, into their delicate winds. Grant them serenity and blessings into the treasures of their feminine delights. For our maidens are the safekeepers of the gardens, and it is their presence, that will permit our Souls to take flight!
