Most Black Women Will Never Burn Their Capes

Annie Lee - Blue Monday

I have one question for Black women and one question only. Why did it take a biracial Indian woman losing a presidential election for you all to realize that you should not be concerning yourselves with any social or political movement that does not affect Black women specifically? I am not surprised that Kamala Harris lost nor am I angry that Donald Trump won. This is America. Any Black woman still surprised by the beliefs of the citizens that dwell in this country are naive and foolish. The results of the 2024 election have many Black women across social media declaring that they are finally taking off their capes. The issue I take with this message is that Black women should not have had their capes on for anyone in the first place. Your labor should not have been something you were offering to anyone except like-minded Black women. Palestine, abortion protests, trans rights, migrant issues, DEI, and Black Lives Matter were all simply distractions that should not have been on any Black woman’s radar. If you are a Black woman who is truly serious about burning your cape, perhaps you should consider practicing some of the following behaviors below:

1. Stop having children out of wedlock.
Black women need to be stingy with their wombs. Kendall St. Charles already gave Black women the slogan “No wedding, no womb!” back in 2013. She even wrote a letter advising Black women to stop giving birth to men who hate them: (https://youtu.be/NYQuLSWrXEs?si=3WpH-kMOlYBu2Q5z&t=490).If Black men do not deem Black women worthy of marriage, then Black men do not deserve to exist. Life is a privilege. This privilege should be reserved for males who treat their female counterparts with respect, and the vast majority of Black men do not respect Black women. If Black women being stingy with their wombs means the Black population becomes extinct in the United States, then so be it. Laying down your cape also means getting rid of the belief that it is your job, as a Black woman, to keep the Black race alive. That duty lies with the males of the race. Men are the ones who are supposed to make sure that the women they share a phenotype with have a thriving and successful community to raise productive children in. As racial demographics shift and climate change causes resources to become scarce, we are going to see societal tolerance for women who continue to have multiple children out-of-wedlock with unproductive males decrease. Donald Trump already plans on rolling back financial aid for low-income people, and with Republicans in control of both the House and the Senate, I suspect even more government programs that help single mothers will be discontinued. Black women, protect and guard your womb. This is your final warning.

2. Embrace your natural hair.
The tariffs Donald Trump plans on implementing during his presidency might cause the prices of beauty products to increase. It is time for Black women to leave the ultra-glam look behind and embrace our natural beauty. This includes learning to love our natural hair. All you need is a shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, and styler for your natural hair to thrive. I advocate for supporting Black female owned brands as they might take a hit from the new tariffs being introduced due to many of these brands using naturally sourced products that come from outside the United States. A natural hair routine should not run you more than $75. The cost of wigs and weaves are predicted to skyrocket once Trump takes over. Do you really want your hatred of your natural hair to be the reason why you fall into debt in 2025? Saving a little bit of extra cash during this upcoming presidency might just save your life.

3. Stop listening to rap music.
The rap music produced by Black men is legalized hate speech against Black women. It should not exist, but Gen X Black women dropped the ball immensely when it came to advocating for and protecting Black women and girls back in the 80’s. Stop supporting music that degrades your image and presents you to the world as “booty shaking hoes”. Remove any artists that create music degrading Black women from your Spotify playlists. Remove rap music from the presence of your children. Do not attend any of these rappers' shows. Do not concern yourselves in any rap beefs going on between male rappers. Delete rap music from your life. Only support media that represents Black women in a positive light. Do not repost pictures, videos, or any other media that displays Black women in anything but a soft feminine manner. Despite what rap music claims, we are more than our bodies. The time for Black women to burn the cape when it comes to rap music is long overdue.

4. Stop attending protests. 
Stop protesting for anyone or anything. Stop protesting for Black male criminals to be let back onto the streets to cause more harm to Black women and children. Stop protesting for migrants to flood the country. Stop protesting for male transgenders to invade women’s spaces. Stop protesting for feminist causes that mainly benefit nonBlack women. Let all of these groups fight their own battles. Their demographics are much larger, richer, and unified than ours. They do not need nor deserve our help. The only protests that Black women should deem worthy of attending are the ones that focus on issues that affect the Black female collective specifically.

5. Prioritize your health.
Your physical and mental health should be top priority as a Black woman. Stressing yourself out about social justice movements that do not specifically affect you is not productive nor empowering. Make sure you get your annual check-ups (that includes pap smears and mammograms). Make sure you are eating a balanced diet that includes a healthy amount of vegetables and fruits. Stop letting Black men scare you out of being skinny. Stop letting liberals convince you that having a nice, toned body is white supremacy. Stop letting conservatives scare you out of building muscle because of their misogynistic and racist rhetoric towards Michelle Obama. It is important that Black women remain physically and mentally strong, especially in dark times like these. Once you burn your cape, and you are no longer neglecting your health, you can make better use of your time by lifting weights or going for a 30 minute walk.

6. Practice minimalism.
The financial future of the United States is completely unknown. One way to prepare for a recession or economic collapse is to practice minimalism. Make a list of which beauty products you plan on using up in 2025, buy the supplies you need, and leave unnecessary items on the store shelves. Reject the overconsumption culture that is dominant in America. I have even decided to romanticise minimalism and label the year of 2025 as my “Minimalist Chocolate Girl Era”.  Natural hair, clean girl makeup, and practical multi-use items/clothing is what needs to be prioritized. Do not be afraid of saving money on electronics and buying used or refurbished phones and laptops as well. Invest the extra cash that you save from rejecting consumerism into a high-yield savings account. Remember what makes you as a Black woman unique and beautiful. Find your own personal style and do not let anyone convince you that the only aesthetic you are allowed to embrace is the IG baddie. 2025 is the year of allowing Black women and girls to be minimal. 

Truth be told, I do not believe most Black women are capable of burning their capes. The attention a Black woman receives when muling for others and putting her own health on the backburner can be difficult to give up, especially if this is the only time said Black woman ever gets praise from others. By this time next year, I expect most Black women to go back to protesting over police brutality or fighting for males to be included in women’s sports. Black women’s lack of emotional control makes it very difficult to not cape for others. For many Black women, their sole purpose in life is to serve, to make others feel comfortable, to be the designated “mammy”, or to put on capes for those who would not even spit on them if they were on fire. I suspect we might even see Black women acting a fool on behalf of foreign groups, like migrants for example, when Donald Trump begins to deport these groups in 2025. I predict that only 5% of Black women will succeed in burning their capes. The 95% of Black women who cannot succeed must be left behind. Recognizing and accepting this reality will be hard for the 5% of Black women who are truly done being the world’s mule, but it is the cold hard truth one must realize. The Black women who fall within this 5% will not only have to burn the cape for outside groups, but they will also have to burn the cape for the majority of Black women as well.