This poem addresses "young black girls" but was written to resonate with all ages. Even if you no longer consider yourself "young" in age, we all have an inner child. So, regardless of your age, I hope these words can reach you if you never got to hear them at a time in life when you needed them most. Please enjoy the poem.
To the many black women before me who walked so I could run. Thank you for teaching me that to be black and a woman is to be beautiful, graceful and blessed beyond measure.
january 27 2021
a letter to our queens.
a poem by Kimberly Douglas©
444 black girl magic avenue
my journal, planet earth K1Y 2D2
a letter to the most disrespected, the most neglected. most copied but never duplicated; the most underestimated and under appreciated. a letter to the blueprint. a letter to our queens.
dear young black girls,
you are loved. dearly. please, take it from me. and I’m deeply sorry for everything this cruel world has stripped from you in exchange for misogyny. you are not “too loud”, “too much”, “too extra” or “hostile”. you were not placed on this earth to be deemed as “evil”, “angry” or docile. and yet since the moment you were born this world has labelled you as “rude”. countless times they’ve torn you down then demonized you for your “attitude”. this world has gaslighted you, stolen from you, and told you who to be. and though at times it’s hard to see, you truly are loved dearly. by me. you are grace, delicacy, light, beauty. and although this world often tries to deprive you of it, you are vulnerability. they have brainwashed you into believing your strength is measured by the amount of pain you endure. the amount of hell this world can put you through. you've been the present woman, the supportive woman, and the resilient woman since the dawn of time. it’s not everyday that you’re the “strong black woman” and that’s just fine. you are far more than the pain and hurt you often hide. far greater than the things you keep inside. you are loved so, so dearly. deserving of far more than the treatment you’ve seen, not young black girls but young. black. queens.
so it pains me to see the way this world constantly mistreats you. hurts me to witness the countless times they've deceived you. breaks me to know your worth has been questioned. too often you've been taken for granted. left out of the conversation. undervalued by the ones who benefit from your hard work. but this world does not move without black women's effort. it cannot spin outside of your orbit. you are the sacrifices you make, the art you create, the passion in your stride. your originality is so admired that you are known to catch eyes. for years others have stolen from you, attempted to recreate your touch, claimed your work as their own. on them it's worthy of "vogue" but on you it's considered "ghetto". it's truly so unfair. but there can only be one. because the copy will never be the original. to be black and a woman is to be one of a kind. beautiful. a rare find. and your influence simply cannot be duplicated, no matter how hard one might try.
you are not a trophy on a shelf or a material prize, and yet this world has diminished you to bodies you are not permitted to autonomize. for centuries you've been objectified and sexualized. a victim of this worlds sick gaze. to them you are cheap meat. forbidden fruit. created for others to look and touch and drool for their benefit at your expense. but loving to look at a black woman is not the same as loving one. but God forbid you find confidence in your own skin. God forbid a black woman is happy, joyful, flourishing, at peace. God forbid you know your worth, you'll be torn down by those who sexualized you first. But you are more than flesh and breasts and curls and curves. more than what your bodies can provide for others. You are our friends, our sisters, our aunties, our mothers. The women we admire. The epitome of potential, intelligence, walking history. But breaking you down builds them up. so for years they've capitalized off your misery.
but black girls, you are loved, dearly. you are above this worlds disrespect, and when we talk about you, it shouldn’t need to be prefaced with “protect”. you deserve peace. luxury. immense respect, understanding, serenity that doesn't follow suffering, reciprocated love, immeasurable joy and loyalty; you are royalty. you come from queens, and queens of queens, and queens of queens of queens. women who graced this earth long before you. who walked so you could run. women willing to burn down cities in your name so you could shine like the sun. you are a blessing from above.
but this world never intended for you to know your worth. you were never supposed to realize your greatness. never should've been told you were loved beyond measure. for that is your power. the one thing they can't take from you. so when this world brings you to your knees and forces you to crack, when they attempt to break you with each attack, stand tall in the face of adversity and take your power back. when they call you the "ghetto girl", the "ratchet girl" the "angry black girl" remember that you are ethereal. God's creation, necessary, one of a kind. keep your head up, back straight, and walk with pride. you hold so much power. such greatness. immense elegance and grace. the rhythm in your hips strong enough to curb mountains and spark earthquakes. steady enough to make this world beat to the sound of your drum, you are precious. with cocoa shaded complexions enough to draw the rays of a million suns, you are a story passed down through generations. past, present, and ones to come. you are a song, a work of art, a sunset, you are, this poem.
so dear young black girls,
I mean,
young. black. queens.
remember that you are loved.
you are divine, precious, and a gift from above.
this world cannot move without everything you do.
black girls, I love you.
sincerely,
one of you.
Written by Kimberly Douglas©
Personal favourite lines:
"and yet since the moment you were born this world has labelled you as “rude”. countless times they’ve torn you down then demonized you for your “attitude”."
"you've been the present woman, the supportive woman, and the resilient woman since the dawn of time. it’s not everyday that you’re the “strong black woman” and that’s just fine."
"deserving of far more than the treatment you’ve seen, not young black girls but young. black. queens."
"this world does not move without black women's effort. it cannot spin outside of your orbit."
"on them it's worthy of "vogue" but on you it's considered "ghetto". it's truly so unfair."
"you are not a trophy on a shelf or a material prize, and yet this world has diminished you to bodies you are not permitted to autonomize."
"but loving to look at a black woman is not the same as loving one."
"but you are more than flesh and breasts and curls and curves. more than what your bodies can provide for others."
"you are above this worlds disrespect, and when we talk about you, it shouldn’t need to be prefaced with “protect”."
"the rhythm in your hips strong enough to curb mountains and spark earthquakes."
"you are a story passed down through generations. past, present, and ones to come."
"you are a song, a work of art, a sunset, you are, this poem."
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