BLACK WOMEN
Apparently, Single Black Women Are Seen But Misunderstood
Confronting the strategic propaganda exploited around Black female singlehood
When Beyoncé dropped ‘Single Ladies’ in 2008, it became a critically acclaimed, cultural phenomenon of empowerment for women. The record itself helped define Beyoncé’s uniquely powerful brand and career. More specifically, Queen Bey made the song’s audience abundantly clear; — encouraging women to choose themselves if their man doesn’t “put a ring on it.”
In the midst of holding up our hands and twisting our wrists with pride, the perspective on how to progress post-breakup transformed, and the expectation to find solace in independence became a rite of passage for single women. It is possibly in this same spirit that compelled actress Tia Mowry to reframe the narrative around divorce a few months back or Ciara to sing for the “girls who don’t need no man” recently.
While the anecdote of celebrating singlehood can be rather compelling when considering moments that romanticize what’s often painful about singleness, the reality is that the target demographic behind these representations are single and unmarried women and that while they may be widely seen, it is still possible that they’re deeply misunderstood.
