Walking in the Shoes of an African American Female

Whether it is fact or fiction, it's a widely perceived idea: females talk too much. So, when I heard news of the event May 11th, called The Moment of Truth: Black Women Revealed, I decided to look into what the evening's lectures would be about.

As an American, White, middle to upper class female, there's no doubt that my friends have heard me complaining for hours about the negative perceptions and experiences that I've come across. It wasn't until I performed this research on how a Black woman's life might be unlike mine that I decided to shut my mouth.

According to an article in womenshealth.com, the depression rate among African American women is estimated to be almost fifty percent higher than that of white women. It also stated that African Americans account for twenty-five percent of mental health needs in this country, although they only comprise around twelve percent of the national population.

Depression is mostly an issue of low self-esteem, which can be overcome by putting forth effort to achieve one's positive ambitions. While this may give the impression of being simple to accomplish, an individual who suffers from depression may inform you otherwise; particularly Black women who must also endure the effects of racism, sexism, and cultural alienation every day.

In the mid 1960's to 1970's African American women were the backbone of dramatic changes in our country. Although they fought for their civil rights and the feminist movement, their contributions seemed unimportant.

Black men felt Black women were committed to adopting the more important roles, as demonstrated by the men of White society that ran America at this time. White women discriminated against them and devoted very little attention to class issues that seriously affected Black women.

While America has made vast improvements in civil and feminist rights since the 1960's, racism and sexism still remain in our society today. African American women must deal with both racism and sexism issues.

When I began researching this topic, my mindset was that a Black woman would have no more to complain about than I do (which tends to seem like a lot sometimes.) After doing research for this article, I now better understand the issues that African American women must surpass.

It could be if more of the nation would take a step into a Black woman's shoes, they would better appreciate their struggles and make an effort to abolish the similar problems that we failed to eliminate in the 1960's.