#BlackGirlsRock (This is not an apology)

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

First Lady Michelle Obama came under fire two days ago after attending BET’s (Black Entertainment Television) “Black Girls Rock” special event. The criticism came not from what she wore on the red carpet or what she said from behind the podium, but from the very fact that she was present. It’s improper, critics say, for Michelle Obama — a black woman — to be seen supporting, praising, uplifting, congratulating or encouraging other black women. From the indignation was born a counter movement: #WhiteGirlsRock.

This criticism, unsurprisingly, came mostly from groups of disgruntled white women and men, who felt as though women of their racial background were not being properly acknowledged or appreciated. In their opinion, to tell a young black woman she’s beautiful is to place all other non-black women beneath her. They believe that to congratulate a young black woman on finishing her higher education in a nation where she is historically unlikely to do so is telling her that white women can’t achieve as much. Apparently, the good-natured uplifting of one of the most objectified, stereotyped, sexualized and exploited people groups in the United States is crossing the line and venturing into the realm of racism.

Black girls do rock, and there has never been a point in the history of America when they’ve been told so. What damage could it possibly do to tell someone they are worth praising? Yes, white women rock too. We have the television, the movie screens, the advertisements, the magazines, the sororities and the history books to remind us.

#BlackGirlsRock is not racism; it’s reparation long overdue.

#WhiteGirlsRock is not retaliation; it’s a testament to fragility of white ego.

#AllGirlsRock when we come to accept and understand the above.