Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower

by Brittney Cooper

The trap and the burden of being exceptional is that your entire identity is wrapped up in being the only one.

American democracy is not interested in acknowledging that a Barack Obama can be found in every Black community. I have met brilliant Black boys at every step of my journey. Many of them were languishing in poor schools and even worse neighborhoods.

The only difference is structural levels of access, not levels of talent or intellect.

Structural violence is rooted in the need to maintain hierarchies, but far too often its most gut-wrenching acts are enacted horizontally, by our peers, not by those positioned above us.

But I have copious amounts of rage at the systems that refused to nurture the talents of the kids who looked like me.

It’s fine to quote Audre Lorde to people and tell them, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” The harder work is helping people find better tools to work with.

Joy arises from an internal clarity about our purpose. My purpose is justice. And the fight for justice brings me joy.