BLACK LIVES MATTER
Black Women Are Invisible
The Godfather of Harlem: An important message was delivered.
The Shoplifting Heroin Addict
Elise Johnson is a drug addict. In episode 3 of The Godfather of Harlem (set in the early 1960s), Elise is arrested for shoplifting to fund her heroin habit. While in custody, she is raped by a black officer, who gets away with it. The white officer that was present at the initial custody sheepishly walked away as he noticed the black officer taking advantage of the situation — no one around.
The Black Officer Wishes It Were Someone Else’s Daughter
The black officer got caught, but not by the authorities. Bumpy Johnson took care of the officer himself.
“I didn’t know it was your daughter!” the black officer screamed to Bumpy Johnson seeking grace for his offense (how ironic).
This phrase baffles me. The black officer implies that it’s okay to rape black women as long as it’s not the daughter of someone prominent like Bumpy Johnson.
What if it were a white woman? I want to take it further, though. If a white woman got caught shoplifting, would the black officer have jumped the white woman while she was on the ground, pulled up her skirt and molested her body while in custody, and ultimately rape the white woman?
Secondly, would the white officer have sheepishly walked away if he saw the black officer unbuckling his belt to rape a white woman?
What do you think?
Black Women Are Invisible
In this episode, a powerful message was conveyed…
Law officers can rape a Black woman with no consequences. A black woman is treated as less than without a second thought.
“Black women are more likely than other racial/gender groups to go unnoticed or unheard.” Melissa Burkley Ph.D.
You might ask, well, why are Black women treated as less than and invisible?
“In general, when people discuss “women’s issues” or when research is conducted on gender bias, the focus is usually on White women. And when people discuss “racial issues” or when research is conducted on racial bias, the focus is usually on Black men. Because of their multiple subordinate-group identity, Black women live in the intersection between these two stereotyped groups, and as a result, often fall between the cracks. […] So not only do Black women have to overcome the disadvantage of being a member of two underrepresented groups (a disadvantage sometimes referred to as the “double jeopardy hypothesis”), they also have to deal with another form of discrimination that is not shared by White women or Black men: Invisibility.” — Melissa Burkley Ph.D.
Note: This reasoning led to the Black Feminist movement since the issues of Black women were not being addressed.
Ultimately, The Black Officer Was Protected
Elise chose not to blame the black officer for the rape; she protected the black man, which is another common theme amongst black women. Instead, Elise pinned the rape on the white officer to further the civil rights cause, a complex decision on her part.
At what costs to achieving racial equality and civil rights do black women have to suffer from abuse by their own racial group, though?
Poems On The Black Female
Black Butterfly.
I carry the weight of a thousand pounds. My rage is louder than a thousand sounds.
My beautiful lips stay silent by day. My strength is a storm hidden away.
My spirit is broken. But my soul is alive.
There is beauty in my blackness. I am a Black Butterfly.
Rape.
I was taught to mute The song of my soul I was taught to accept mistreatment Between my loins I was taught that I’m nothing But a thing I was taught to not want Anything
Mothers And Daughters.
I learn to forget Just like my mother She learned to forget Just like her mother
My daughters learned To accept anything That’s how you survive You become nothing
I’ve been taught To depend on a no-good man I’ve been taught To be fine with getting beaten I’ve been taught To never speak out I’ve been taught To ignore the cries of my sisters
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