A personal exploration of identity through the prism of ethnicity, culture and experience – referencing what it is to be a Black British woman. Through reflection, interviews, stats and gentle therapeutic thought, Dionne explores the poetic, the political and the imagined. She creates space for Black women to be heard – contemporary, historical, ancestral and future voices are amplified – as they unpack trauma and celebrate joy. You are invited to read and connect with what it is to navigate womanhood whilst being Black.
for Oghenewhaire: Black women’s tears
Black women’s tears are rarely met with empathic enquiry. We navigate a world where it feels unsafe for Black women to cry openly, our pain is policed, our vulnerability fetishised and our emotions ignored or voyeuristically examined.
While White women’s tears amplify the narrative of White women as victims, we are handcuffed to the archetype of the strong Black woman. For many of us, it will never feel safe to cry in public, for we know our tears will not save us. Read time: 15 mins
for Guilaine: embracing vulnerability
For Black women, embracing vulnerability is an act of radical defiance and gentle beauty; Dionne St. Hill travels beyond the tired trope of the angry Black woman and explores the too often unseen and unvalued quiet strength found in Black women’s softness and reticence – Read time: 9 mins
for Cole: cross purposes
The national flag of England is a symbol of deep pride for many English people, but for a myriad of Black British citizens, this red cross on a white background will always be a symbol of bloody nationalism and violent xenophobia.
The accessory of choice for many violent domestic terrorists during the so-called ‘summer of madness’, Dionne St. Hill reflects on the emotional turbulence the English flag generates – Read time: 11 mins
for Shirley: too Black, too strong
Black women in politics are stumbling as they walk the fine line between being seen as electable, conservative, liberal, radical, out of touch, hubristic or self-loathing… is it possible to balance political and cultural expectations without an inevitable ignominious ending – Read time: 13 mins
for Sonya: please don’t hurt me
Amid soulful mourning, months after the murder of Sonya Massey by a police officer in America, Dionne St. Hill reflects on the sorrow and sacred rage Black women feel, as they grapple with the emotional impact of the killing of another sister. Read time – 14 minutes