Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower

by Brittney Cooper

Black women turn to sass when rage is too risky—because we have jobs to keep, families to feed, and bills to pay.

That’s kind of how it feels to be a Black woman. Like our victories belong to everyone, even though we do all the work.

We wonder why young men hate women and, sometimes, the sad truth is that their mamas and aunts and sisters act as an arm of the patriarchy by parroting the refrain that “girls simply can’t be trusted.”

Loving Black girls is complicated, but loving oneself in a world where there is always someone ready to do you harm is even harder.

Black feminism is not a reactionary project. It is not about the damage that white girls do. Not solely or primarily. Black feminism is about the world Black women and girls can build, if all the haters would raise up and let us get to work. When I talk about owning eloquent rage as your superpower, it comes with the clear caveat that not everyone is worth your time or your rage.