Black Women Are NOT Your Cosplay

      It NEVER ceases to amaze me that Black women are consistently denoted as "ghetto" until components of us are colonized into the category of "trendy".  It also does not surprise me, nor does it not go unnoticed, that men will seek out and become romantically involved with the cosplayers.  They (especially Black men) will engage in the imposters, praising their attitudes, styles, etc. while degrading the originators.  It is utterly sad the number of men that are willing to entertain walking minstrel shows while condemning the same women that began his [very] existence.  

   We [Black women] are deemed: too masculine, "ghetto", nonsubmissive, and "difficult".  Why? Making it simple.  Due to the generations of us having to care for a multitude of communities and men [within proximity], void of assistance or a break.  It is a tale as old as time...Black women put in the physical and emotional labor for everyone, just to be placed into the category of the most hated on the globe.  Keep in mind, this is occurring, simultaneously, with Black men screaming for us to be more like their mom, big momma, and fave auntie.  Why? These women struggled (most often singularly) to provide all for their families.  They endured the curse of being riddled with the [very] bare minimum that men had to offer or no [steady] relationship at all.

     Black men will glorify the generations that were left without the choice [or opportunity] to stand within their boundaries and standards.  This is [partially] why they allow for the blatant cosplay of Black women.  They want the cloak of Black women but need it to encase a woman that they have [societally] deemed weak, submissive, an easy target.  They will embolden the cosplayer to a point where Black women become antagonized by them both as a measure of gaslighting the mimicry as well as the personality trait of their relationship.

     Let me ve absolutely clear, WE ARE NOT THE BLUEPRINT FOR YOUR COSPLAY!!!! If you want the aesthetic of a Black woman..... LEVEL UP AND DATE ONE. It is in NO WAY flattery or the appreciation of the Black women that causes us to be [stereotypically] copy and paste.  It is NOT a badge of honor for us.  It is an utter slap in the face and DISRESPECT.  The blaccents...the trope brimmed adaptations...the obsession is quite reminiscent of the "human suit" Wild Bill was attempting in 'Silence of the Lambs'.  

     You will watch, 'Single White Female' and 'Single Black Female' and point out how creepy and wrong their villain's antics are, are you attempting to eliminate the [sheer] essence of Black women with your Rotten Tomatoes performances as Black women.  

     I get it.  You are able to achieve notoriety, fame, financial gain, and the gaze of men [and women] due to this adopted persona.  Does it make it right? Does it decrease the disrespect? Does it dispel the stereotyping [and generalization] of Black women? NOOOOOOOOOO! This buffoonery furthers the oppression of Black women.  As much as I want to shake the entire planet and shout for everyone to cease these shenanigans...the call is a [predominately] coming from inside of the house.

     It starts with us raising Black children to respect and honor the Black women and not to fall into the trap of white supremacist ideologies.  It moves towards Black men correcting their friends/sons/fathers/cousins/brothers when they utilize said ideologies against Black women.  From there, Black men, you MUST STOP uplifting the cosplayers (especially those that actively seek out and harass us) and STOP gassing their heads up with statements such as: "You're blacker than most Black women."

     We know that we can overcome this, as we have overcome so much thus far, but we should NOT be put into the position of overcoming being a profitable costume for non-Black women.  Also, my fellow melanated majesties...you are NOT exempt from this critique.  Far too many of you give "passes" to this nonsense.  You befriend and encourage the cosplayers as well as egg them on all across social media.  STOP IT!!!!! STOP giving your royalty and your crowns to imitators that have little to no respect for you.  It is FAR from cute or amusing to welcome a person that turns Black women into a character....an SNL skit if you will.  

     Moreover, you can love the essence of a Black woman to your core, what CAN NOT do it attempt to embody it.  It is NOT for you.  It may be hard to not be the leading role in this movie but comprehend that you are no more than a supporting cast.  Too many non-Black women have amassed MILLIONS cosplaying us.  All they must do is pull off a decently "ghetto" version of the Black woman character, and all else can remain subpar.  Meanwhile, Black women continue to work quadruple time to merely become noticed for the beautifully dynamic humans that we are.

    Ge it together fellow inhabitants of the earth...FINALLY grasp that we are not a trendy cosplay for "this time in your life".

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