This influencer seems to think so
Photo by Thiago Vale on Unsplash
Recently I came across a video from 19 Keys, a popular thought leader, entrepreneur, and author with a heavy social media following. His content largely covers financial literacy, metaphysics, and tech with an emphasis on empowering the black community.
In his video, “Black Women’s next move”, he speaks on the importance of black men and women coming together to build because that is “our only choice”. For context, the word ‘our’ means black women.
Per 19 Keys, a black woman made a post on Threads asking, “Hey black women, what do we do next?” His solution to the question is, “Capable black men and black women need to work together, now that corporate America has closed it’s doors and no longer allowing for black women to build…”
Comments under the video ranged from black people as a whole needing to heal first to black men learning to value black women’s opinions and perspectives before we can conjoin.
Historically, black men and women were working together. The segregation era forced black entrepreneurs and professionals to create their own economic systems for black folks to shop, dine, worship, and be educated. Marriage was to our benefit (and still is) and worked because we were all we had before everything went to hell in our community.
Presently, it appears black men and women couldn’t be more divided. Podcasts disseminating destructive messages or gossip. “Intellectuals” whom are heavy on knowledge and wisdom, yet light on real world application. And somewhere in the balance is how we need to come together. If black men and women could work together, all would be well.
Here’s the thing: black women have tried to work with black men and rarely do the pennies add up. As the most educated and fastest growing group of entrepreneurs, black women have been told our degrees, careers, and money don’t matter by black men who have yet to elevate with us.
The question is, do black men really want or believe they should unite with black women? My assumption is no, they don’t. Otherwise it would have been done.
No man has the solution to what women of color need or should do. Throughout history, women primarily were left to their own devices in fighting for basic human rights. Where were the men then?
I’m not sure black men and women working together is the only option, as 19 Keys has stated. The black community is a complex web of racism, sexism, trauma, pain, and bitterness. We are in dire need of accountability and healing before considering joining forces.
Until then, black women and women in general, are better off uniting on our own.