Black people love…love! There is nothing more beautiful than African Americans loving each other. “Black on Black Love” is never a crime.
How fitting that this blog begins on Valentine’s day 2008. A day of love celebrated during black history month. Oh, the irony. In a world that has shown the African Diaspora so much hate, we love and we love hard. This is not meant to be interpreted to say that blacks always act in love toward their fellow human beings, be they black or otherwise. This would be a misnomer (that’s one of those big “preacher” words…we love those too. LOL) No, black people love to hate too. However, isn’t loving to hate still LOVE? Ah Hah! What is being black without irony? We love the N-word. We love our nappy locs. We love our beautiful chocolate skin. We love our Black leaders. We love Black athletes. We love Black history. We love. We love. We love.
I’m happy to explore this love here at StuffBlackPeopleLove.com.
Some examples of Black Love:
Love through cooking
There is just something about a home cooked meal that says I love you, especially if it’s reminiscent of the cooking of your grandmother, mother dear, or other great black family matriarch. I’ve heard some brothers note in barbershop conversations that if a sister is fine and can cook (can make a great biscuit from scratch) , she should not be single. LOL, lots of single black women might be looking around for that missing man on that point. One of the best places to see this example at work is Black family reunions and Black funerals.
Slave Marriages
In a time when slaves could not legally marry, African American slaves committed themselves to each other. Facing a very unsure fate wherein they could be separated by an owner’s debt, death, or whim, they loved each other and made what family life they could.
Helping Extended Family
African Americans are typically very welcoming of extended family, foster/adopted children and “adopted ” family (i.e. play cousins). The idea of nursing homes or allowing a child to go into foster care instead of the care of a relative is something that was not acceptable to many families in the past. However, this characteristic of Black families seems to be eroding. For those who have allowed family to live with them, you know how far love can be stretched and tried in the name of love.
4 responses so far ↓
1 GirlGriot // Feb 23, 2008 at 9:49 am
Hey, so glad you’ve started this blog!
Another form of Black Love: what I like to call my mom’s ‘lioness behavior,’ her fierce, protective mother-love. Throughout my childhood she was ready to take on anyone who hurt her children in any way. Her willingness to stand up to any and all has continued into our adult lives, and continues to make plain her powerful, unconditional love for us. She’s never been a touchy-feely, mushy person, and her love can be tough, but when she stands between us and the world, we feel totally embraced.
2 Variations on a Meme: Stuff Black/Educated Black/Asian People Like/Love at Racialicious - the intersection of race and pop culture // Mar 11, 2008 at 10:20 am
[…] talks about black love, the “Everybody Loves a Black Girl” tee shirts, and Finding Out a Criminal is Not […]
3 I Got to be Anonymous // Apr 10, 2008 at 1:57 pm
You mentioned the “love through cooking” at black funerals. Funerals….unfortunately that’s another thing some of us love. Death is sad, but some of US love to show up and show out at funerals…sometimes even for folks we don’t even know.
4 Amanda // May 29, 2008 at 8:32 am
I dont think this was one of your best. It’s pretty general and could be used with any race.
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