Words From a Black Girl :: A Letter From My African American Daughter

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Lauren has a strong, beautiful African American daughter.As if the pandemic wasn’t enough in 2020, it was also an election year (insert sigh); and wow, was it one for the books! There was so much at stake during this election from pandemic relief, to racial justice, and everything in between. This election season was like watching a thriller, comedy, and drama all at once. Through it all, it seems that things are only getting a little better . . . sometimes. We are still faced with racial injustice, a pandemic crisis, and everything in between (shoutout to all the virtual school mamas, working mamas, and all the mamas everywhere).

I hate to come here and not acknowledge the great things that have been happening. Families have gotten closer, the world has gained more compassion (well, some of the world), and not only do we have a new President-elect, we have a new Vice President-elect who is a woman, and a woman of color! What better way to speak of progress than to see this beautiful accomplishment. Kamala Harris is the first African American woman to be elected as Vice President of the United States. Not only that, but the government is getting filled with other women of all colors, and it is a sight to see and celebrate! As a girl mama, this makes me ecstatic! It also made me think, why not write a letter from my African American daughter (I mean, you all enjoyed the letter from my African American son, right?). Well, here it is:

Dear World,

Allow me to introduce myself: I am a Black girl filled with magic and excellence! I am powerful and strong, and I can do amazing things. A woman who looks like me just got elected to be the Vice President of the United States of America! This is huge, not only for brown girls like me but for all girls. Kamala Harris has shown that we girls can do amazing things. While I understand that this is a huge win for all girls, this is a perfect time for me to tell you all about black girls, our magic, and what we need! Here goes.

Again . . . we are magical and we are excellent!

We were created and put on this earth to do all human things, not just “black girl” things.

We are not competing with other girls, we want to sit at the same tables and share the same spaces of success. We are already treated differently because we are girls; we shouldn’t be treating each other differently because of what we look like.

Just like you, we Black girls work hard for ALL of our accomplishments!

Our skin comes in many different colors and shades, ALL of which are beautiful for all of us, not because we are dark or light. Melanin is a gift from the earth and it should be looked at as beautiful and exotic. It is not a measure of our success or shortcomings.

Our hair is not a measure of our success either, it is our crown! Whether we choose to wear it straight, curly, or nappy, it is beautiful.

We can and will do all things that we want to do with other girls of different races and ethnicities. All we need is support from them and we girls can truly run the world.

This black girl, along with other black girls, will grow into a black woman, and we want the world to get ready because as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said, “I may be the first, but I am not the last!”  So, look out, world — here we come!

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Lauren P
Lauren is a Chicago native turned Alabama resident. She came to Alabama leaving behind great pizza, tall buildings, and white winters to become a doctor. Little did she know, she would meet one special person who would change her life forever. Now Lauren resides in Hoover with her husband, Dell, and two kids, Brysen and Karsyn. She enjoys busy days, quiet nights, football, and barbeque. (Oh, and let's not forget Target and the beach!)