Name: This Will Be My Undoing
Rating: 4.2 (18 reviews)
Author: Morgan Jerkins

What’s in it for me? Learn how to foster a society that empowers Black women.

Most of us want to contribute to building a better society for all, but we’re often not sure where to start. In an increasingly multifaceted world, it can be difficult to navigate the varied perspectives on what needs to be done in order to support marginalized communities.

One such community is that of Black women in the United States – but in order to help them, you first need to understand the context and historical background that gave rise to their marginalization in the first place.

This is where author Morgan Jerkins steps in. Drawing upon her own experiences growing up and living in contemporary America as a Black female, Jerkins identifies why Black women face hardship, while highlighting the areas that must be addressed to improve their position in society.

Whether you’re a white female, a man, or even a Black woman yourself, everyone has a role to play in creating a society that is fair and just for all – including for Black women.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

about the crabs-in-a-barrel theory;
why we should acknowledge skin color; and
why you shouldn’t touch a Black woman’s hair.

Morgan Jerkins is a Black woman and a human.

When Jerkins was a young girl, she wanted to cast aside her Blackness and assimilate into white culture.

This is a common desire among young Black girls wanting to make it in a white-dominated world. They understand that their Blackness is a threat and that in order to be nonthreatening and succeed in the world, it should be toned down.

Therefore, during her teenage years, Jerkins didn’t leave her hair in its natural state and wore jewelry and clothes that were status symbols of whiteness – such as items from Gap and Limited Too – and sought to avoid Black classmates who shunned white culture.

During this time, Jerkins learned when it was advantageous to use her racial heritage and when to adapt to the rules of whiteness. She soon realized that, in most cases, white culture always won because many people don’t see Black culture as a viable option. Why is this so?

Remarkably, the answer is that some white people see the labels “human” and “Black woman” as mutually exclusive.

Once, a white man asked Jerkins why she didn’t just define herself as a human instead of as a Black woman – a label that many white people stereotype negatively. Her reply was that she is both; however, the man said that she didn’t assume the role of a Black woman. Why?

Because Jerkins was well-spoken, went to Princeton and worked in publishing – all qualities that didn’t fit with the man’s perception of a Black woman – the man didn’t see her as a “typical” Black woman. Moreover, Jerkins sometimes adjusts her mannerisms to fall more in line with white culture; she minimizes gestures, avoids sucking her teeth and doesn’t talk as loudly.

Blackness is denied when Black women don’t conform to the stereotype of “sassy Black woman.” This stereotype reinforces the perception that Black people aren’t as educated or worthy as white people, and if a Black woman doesn’t fit this description, then she isn’t Black but rather white – and thus human. And so, by this logic, it is impossible to be both Black and human.

Unfortunately, acknowledging a Black person as though she or he were white is still considered a compliment.

“Color-blindness” is a myth that doesn’t help people of color.

Many white people think that not being able to distinguish between skin colors is a progressive stance. It’s not.

Being blind to Black skin is the same as being blind to Black history and everything that being Black represents. The daily experiences of people of color aren’t the same as those of white people; a lot of liberal white people claim that they don’t see skin colors because they think identifying someone as Black is somehow equivalent to being racist.

White people fetishize Black women’s bodies.

Historically, Black women’s bodies were put on display so that people could openly gawk at them. For example, in the early 1800s in South Africa, Hottentot Venus, a Black woman with an extraordinarily big bottom, was turned into a freak show by Dutch colonists.

Though this kind of distasteful display doesn’t happen as obviously now, the mentalities underpinning such acts are still present.

Mainstream feminism usually belittles, negates or doesn’t take into account the experiences of Black women.

The 2014 film Girlhood is about a young Black French girl and was directed by a white woman, who said that the movie doesn’t feature the experiences of a young Black girl but instead the experiences of a young girl in general. This, however, is an inaccurate claim, and it serves as an example of color-blindness negating real experiences.

Having Black women’s stories told by white women can often be oppressing and belittling.

Successful Black women need to help other Black women.

As we’ve established, the modern world isn’t so accommodating to Black women and their efforts toward success.

But just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean women shouldn’t try to help; rather than being a threat to a woman’s success, elevating fellow Black women can be strengthening.

Key ideas in This Will Be My Undoing