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I think this article is right on the money.
Note the bolding. We see plenty of examples of this here.
Burrell says "crabbin'" is the desire to keep someone from achieving. While "backstabbin'" is jealousy, envy and hateful behavior in an attempt to sabotage another black person's possible success.
These both underlie our refusal to unite and add fuel to the desire to diminish another black person's success. But all point to the underlying pain that needs to be healed so that we can uplift each other, build unity, value our gifts and talents, transform our attitude into one that is positive and supportive, find the good and praise it -- and as Mr. Burrell says, "don't hate, elevate."
We need to re-build our foundation of self-love before we can build community without throwing each other under the bus. That's one reason why I formed God is a Brown Girl Too®, so that we can begin to celebrate the Spirit in us. The Spirit in us is the most powerful force in the universe, that which Jesus called the Kingdom of God. If you haven't read the scripture, just go to Luke 17:21. Jesus said that the Kingdom -- that place that we are all trying to get to -- is neither here nor there. Jesus said the Kingdom of God is within. When we really recognize that we are temples of a living God, we can transcend the scars of slavery and the brutality of being raped, marginalized, denigrated and condemned as women.
The truth is that many black women hate on each other. And that hatred is not justified by any means; but it is the result of a peculiar institution that sought to justify slavery by condemning Africans and their descendants in this country as ugly, sub-human animals unworthy of respect, love or devotion. We not only bear the scars of slavery but are continuously fed the resulting myths and stereotypes through the media.
Some key questions for my sisters are:
Excellent article. I would love to hear your thoughts blu.
Note the bolding. We see plenty of examples of this here.
In his new book BRAINWASHED: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority, marketing and advertising pioneer Tom Burrell has a whole chapter devoted to "crabbin' and backstabbin'." For many black women, the low expectations, intense jealousy and attempts to sabotage their own are even greater -- when it comes to their sisters. These emotions run even deeper between women because there are two layers of contempt -- not only black women hating on each other for accomplishments in the larger society but also black women hating on each other for the favor shown them by black men.
Burrell says "crabbin'" is the desire to keep someone from achieving. While "backstabbin'" is jealousy, envy and hateful behavior in an attempt to sabotage another black person's possible success.
These both underlie our refusal to unite and add fuel to the desire to diminish another black person's success. But all point to the underlying pain that needs to be healed so that we can uplift each other, build unity, value our gifts and talents, transform our attitude into one that is positive and supportive, find the good and praise it -- and as Mr. Burrell says, "don't hate, elevate."
We need to re-build our foundation of self-love before we can build community without throwing each other under the bus. That's one reason why I formed God is a Brown Girl Too®, so that we can begin to celebrate the Spirit in us. The Spirit in us is the most powerful force in the universe, that which Jesus called the Kingdom of God. If you haven't read the scripture, just go to Luke 17:21. Jesus said that the Kingdom -- that place that we are all trying to get to -- is neither here nor there. Jesus said the Kingdom of God is within. When we really recognize that we are temples of a living God, we can transcend the scars of slavery and the brutality of being raped, marginalized, denigrated and condemned as women.
The truth is that many black women hate on each other. And that hatred is not justified by any means; but it is the result of a peculiar institution that sought to justify slavery by condemning Africans and their descendants in this country as ugly, sub-human animals unworthy of respect, love or devotion. We not only bear the scars of slavery but are continuously fed the resulting myths and stereotypes through the media.
Some key questions for my sisters are:
- Are you supportive of black women, or are you competitive, critical and jealous?
- Are you loving and compassionate towards black women or do you disrespect or manipulate them because you are threatened by their success?
- Do you celebrate their strength, beauty, harmony or loathe and resent them?
- Do you see their joy as a confirmation of your own, or do you hold back your best for them because you really want to see them fail?
- Do you base your opinion of yourself on whether you are going out with someone or in a relationship -- or do you realize the power that you are in and of yourself?
- Are you influenced by the commercial, the material and the popular or do you shine your light as the glorious being of infinite potential that you are?
- But most importantly, are you loving you -- because in loving yourself fully and completely, you will spread love to everyone else -- in a respectful, peaceful, kind manner.
Excellent article. I would love to hear your thoughts blu.
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