An Op-Ed: Dear White Women, Why Does My FABULOUS Offend You?

Recently on a quick Publix run in Chattanooga, a worker made a beeline to where I was standing at the cashier line to question me if I watched the show "Empire". 

After an internal gasp of "wtf", I replied, "No" with little emotion and without even looking toward her to even notice her reaction. Determined to make her ill fated point she went on to ask the other white girl bagging my groceries if she watched the show, remarked how I looked like "Cookie" and began to pull up some imagery on her phone all whilst on the company dime. 

Occurrences like this are far too common in my daily life and often leaves me wondering how my donning a full length mink, heels or a wide brimmed hat correlates with a depiction of a sassy convicted felon ready to pop off at any moment. These diva like comparisons are exhausting, unflattering and downright racist. 

In lieu of just stating she liked my outfit she felt the need to reach for the lowest common denominator to compare me to. 

Behaviors such as these have me to believe that atttractive and stylish black women somehow trigger white women. 

Even a quick run into the local mall can be daunting. The audacity of me to be carrying a Chanel 19 bag in thier Dillard's at 2 pm on a Monday with a card in hand to purchase yet another designer bag the store has placed under lock & key. The irrration on their faces and undercover eye roll are just yet another display of their covert animosity towards black women. 

White women have long been considered the standard of beauty and have benefitted from this ideology in more ways that we can ever imagine. Malcom X once stated that the most disrespected person in America is the Black Woman. This holds true today even with a woman of color holding down the second highest office in the land. 

When a white women remarks on my style or appearance with a compliment she expects me to sort-of bow down with a giddy response of appreciation. My mundane never impressive response leaves them annoyed and on occasion loudly repeating the comment as if my response should change. 

It never does... 

The normalization of Black luxury and success has once again reminded white women of their white fragility and they hate it. Instances such as these are quietly discussed by Black women in "sister circles" and often leave us wondering "Why They Mad". 

Black women are seldom delivered any grace in this world. With microaggressions being hurled and tossed at us in every direction it's essential for us to identify our own ounce of light in this dark world. 

And if that light somehow manifests itself in a pair of Louboutins or an impromptu trip to The Maldives.....

We Embrace It. 

We Hold Onto To It. 

We Deserve It.