What About Our Mothers

So, I subscribe to the blog What About Our Daughters, and I think it is amazing and much needed in our society. I also have female family members and mentors who are extraordinary leaders.

However, I take umbrage with the fact that MY GENERATION has many critics whom have done nothing more to affect the current condition of the state of black youth except to criticise it.

I was at a Senate District Convention (Oh yeah...I'm so Obamafied), and I overheard this group of older black women, both Clinton and Obama supporters saying things such as, " These young people don't know nothin, they don't know why they votin."

This is not the first time that I've heard women that fit this profile express such negative opinions about the younger generation and in most cases, it comes in the shape of an absent acknowledgement or a rolling of the eyes.

Although, I personally know many women who have chosen to take me under their umbrella and guide me in my personal and professional decision making. Many of my peers have not. I believe it is a result of fear, because many of these women in positions to act as a leader are unapproachable. Or do not have the patience to deal with questions...they act as if, um I don't know, they weren't a student at some point in their life.

Can you really be mad at our generation for not having the equal amount of compassion for the same causes that you do, when the reality is...we have not experienced the things in which you have.

This is not by far my excuse, but you must ask yourself, "What have I done to educate these young people."

Everyone needs something or someone to motivate them. We have a natural affection to those who look like us. Visual by nature, we like to see ourselves as we may someday be.

As for the young people -bashing ladies at the convention, or at the beauty salon, or at church. I am fully aware and capable of what I voted for. In fact, me and my close friends have created a dialogue amongst ourselves that is mostly comprised of politics, careers and our aspirations.

I am grateful for my mother, my aunts and my mentors for understanding that yes, I may fit the profile of a young, black woman. But I am a whole person, I am so much more than these demographics and I refuse to settle for a mediocre lifestyle. We should not have to be kin to these women or affiliated with the same Greek organization for them to see where exactly they can impact our lives.

The purpose of this blog is not to challenge the blogsite, What About Our Daughters, because the basic premise behind that blog is to speak up and ensure respect and justice, for young, black women. However, the best connections are made through face to face conversations. So, to my mothers, as in mothers of black society, please take the time out to acknowledge the young women who go out of their way to make an impression on you, or whom you may have judged based on the exterior.

And my daughters, don't be afraid to hold your own in a room with our mothers. We must respect them and take the initiative to establish a relationship, and we must always remember that we are all a work in progress. Our mothers were once daughters and we too shall be mothers someday. We mustn't forget that we did not become so fabulous on our own.