Speak Life into Black Girls

By: Madalyn McKnight

The viral video of a precious little beauty exclaiming that she is ugly while she is in the process of getting some maintenance on the natural locs she has broke my heart. Before I  knew it, I  was talking to her through my phone screen. I  spoke words of affirmation I  wish I  heard more of when I  was her young age. Seeing her cry pulled on a heartstring I thought had healed. Childhood trauma can reveal itself in many different ways. I  saw myself in this angel’s eyes. I  do not ever want a black girl to feel less than her beautiful self.

Speak life to black girls.

Speak life to the work we do, our insecurities, our fears, our dreams.

We are always expected to be strong, but no one ever inquiries what that strength is rooted in. Sometimes our insecurity is our hair. Either we love it too much or we do not love it enough. We should all remember to love black women for everything we are and are not! I recently made the decision to loc my natural hair and it was both terrifying and freeing. When my loctician asked me what took me so long, I was ashamed of my answer. I was scared of my professional life changing and having to defend my decision to style this beautiful hair God gave me. Once I spoke the words, the fear dissipated. In my adult years, I am just now loving my hair the way it is. I  make it my mission to ensure that black girls hear it too.

We are not an aesthetic, a fad, a trend, or the strongest people in the world. We are human beings with extraordinary capabilities with hurt feelings like anyone else. It starts as a youth and can shape a woman’s future. Tell the black girls and women in your life that you love them and that everything they are is enough..

They need it, and I still need it.

Madalyn McKnight is a Contributing Writer for the Pedestal Project, LLC. A rare blackbird who has the range and a young black professional with impactful words! Follow her on Instagram and Facebook at @singsongblackbird and twitter @singsongblckbrd.