Saturday 25 May 2013

The triple discrimination of black women.

This is a blog post. So before anyone shakes their head too hard, or asks.. where’s the research ... all I can say is.. errr..i'm kinda busy'...
No.. quite simply, I base it on empirical evidence, and phenomenological .
Basically, I see it, somebody told me, and I’ve experienced it.
Don’t believe me.. ?
Why?
Okay .. let me explain
Too often for my liking, I’m told of the frustration that some young black mothers face when dealing with issues to do with their children’s education.

The situations I am told of tend to reflect the negative common assumptions of women, who are black, who are young, and who happen to be mothers.
If they attend school functions alone, it may even be assumed that she is a single mother.. and not that her husband or partner is out working (but that’s another post)

Anyway, back to the point..I’m told stories of how some of these young women are often spoken to in quite a patronising manner, fobbed off when trying to vocalise their own concerns, and as a result may be left feeling powerless to do anything about it, as it would appear that very few people truly understand the phenomena, want to understand, but more importantly, act to do much about it.

If you add to the mix, unemployed mothers, or mothers on a low income, it’s quadruple. Add to that any judgement by family members, church members, or cultural attitudes... quintet.
Now that’s a lot of discrimination to deal with.

I was a young mum ( as time went on a single mum ) so I know when I hear some of these stories there is truth in them. .

Language.. lovely as it may be.. can also be used as a weapon, tone of voice, all those subtle little mannerisms, one uses over another to establish an understanding of where the'imagined' power lies. ( again.. another post)
My point is simple. It is entirely possible that young black women do face more discrimination especially in certain environments, and if they say something, it would appear the problem is theirs alone..or quite simply.. 'imagined'. They may feel safe telling others who may also have experience, or knowledge of it, but feel really uneasy sharing the experience with anyone else.
Why?. Because it’s hard to prove, uncomfortable to speak of, and uncomfortable to hear.



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