Giavanni Alves | #BlackWomenExcellence

Ja Feel | Celebrating black women

By Giavanni Alves 10/20/15 9:26pm

The celebration of affinities is not something that needs to be scheduled in order to be recognized or appreciated. We do not have to wait until a specific time of year or for history to be made to recognize excellence that takes place on a daily basis. This “moment” is solely dedicated to black women.

The intersection of this double minority, being black and being a woman, is a weight like no other. But think of it like resistance training — running with this weight, we become that much stronger pushing forward. Our resilience is unparalleled and that is one of many reasons that our greatness cannot be suppressed or ignored.

As a young black woman, I am infinitely proud and cannot contain my smile as I think of the phenomenal women that have come before me, those who contribute to the world today and those of us that are developing our own contributions.

We are leading ladies in just about everything, whether it be literature, performing arts, sports, science, business, education or medicine. The list goes on. You name it, there are black women bringing talent to that field.

Historically speaking, I believe it’s important to note that many of the black women that boast such large accomplishments not only contributed to their own community but made moves for society in general. Did you know that the first self-made female millionaire was a black woman (Madame C.J. Walker)? Or that it was black women that invented the first home security system (Marie V. Brittan Brown) and instruments for laser eye surgery (Patricia Bath)? This is not to focus on who did what first, but simply to highlight an aspect of the depth of black women’s excellence.

Although I’ve drawn attention to women in the professional world, the excellence doesn’t just come from the title. It stems from the empowerment and inspiration that these women evoke in excelling. Essence Magazine’s recent profile of the 29 black women in the Obama administration — including the United States’ first black female attorney general Loretta Lynch — is a reminder that there is no ceiling over success. Jedidah Isler becoming the first black woman to attain a doctorate in astrophysics from Yale is a reminder that there is no area of study that cannot be mastered by a black woman. Viola Davis becoming the first black woman to receive an Emmy for Best Leading Actress in a drama is a reminder that our talent is not solely celebrated by our own people.

Thinking about the beautiful force that black women exude, especially among those I personally know, my smile widens. Family members and friends mirror the aforementioned societal inspirations. At the same time, consider the very women that attend this university. Among my friends who are black women, there are future doctors, businesswomen, engineers, psychologists and leaders in the media industry. While working toward professional goals, we are also accomplishing the exceptional feats of working on start-ups, creating and running businesses, volunteering and utilizing other platforms for our talents.

One particular platform that is being utilized this upcoming weekend is theater. The African American Art Alliance is putting on “For Colored Girls” this weekend, a choreo-poem play with a completely female cast that shares stories of some of the difficulties that women of color endure as they go through life. In the same breath, it highlights the strength and radiance of these women despite their experiences. The raw talent that is required of the actresses that will be playing the roles of these characters is truly moving. You do not have to look far to witness the brilliance of black women, but this is definitely one powerful space in which you can.

It is worth noting that black women’s excellence is not limited to that which can be given a plaque, certificate or trophy. While it is easier to attempt to validate something based on statistics and titles, our force need not be validated. Black women are excellent because of their intelligence, talent, strength, courage, beauty and more. While I have discussed only a small sample, the ways in which black women embody excellence is infinite.

GIAVANNI ALVES is a College sophomore from New York. Her email address is alvesg@sas.upenn.edu. “Ja Feel” appears every other Wednesday.

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