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WOMANISM
Why Black Women Are Told to Be Silent If It Will Benefit a Man’s Career
An essay about domestic violence and racial representation
Last week, Tyrone Jacobs, a Black man, went viral after sharing a headshot of himself working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Seeing a Black man reach this level of career success while embracing a natural hairstyle was inspiring, especially following the hair discrimination Darryl George, a high school student, experienced in a Texas school district. Sharing his headshot became a representation-matters type of moment for the black community. However, that shifted when a video of George’s ex-girlfriend accusing him of domestic violence surfaced. Many women shared their disappointment in his behavior, and others expressed feeling uncomfortable, knowing they had just recently praised his success. And then, the inevitable happened. Some men began the timeless tradition of scolding Black women for talking about domestic violence.
Black women are repeatedly accused of “tearing down” a Black man who is trying to “do good.” One Black man, Jupiter, asked if he was “a monster” for not caring about the abuse allegation because of Tyrone’s brilliance and his accomplishment of “working for NASA?” Eric Taylor, a Black mental health care activist…
