Bitch Bad, Woman Good, Lady Better ~ Killing the Word “Bitch in Black Culture
I am definitely not the first person to address this conundrum in the black community, and I am definitely hoping that I will not be the last. There is a song by Rapper Lupe Fiasco that addresses a specific paradigm in the black culture that is indicative of the lack of understanding of “word power.” The name of this song is “Bitch Bad,” and I have included the video in this post, so that the succinct message in this song can be shared with my melanin-rich brothers and sisters, which is important for those who will not take the time to read through the penetrating words in this treatise.
The words in the title of this article are the words used in the “hook” of this song. What Lupe is attempting to express here is that a part of the cultural disintegration in the black community is the failure of blacks — men and women — to understand the power of word usage. There is a similar discussion taking place in the black community concerning the collective use of the word “Nigga” and all of its derivatives. I would argue that the use of the word “bitch” in referring to and describing the black woman is just as dangerous as the use of “nigga.” Although it does not have the dark history of hatred that the word “nigger” has, it definitely has the history of degradation and destruction.
I have to admit that I am somewhat envious of Lupe Fiasco in the manner in which he is able to break down the psychological destruction that is associated with the term “bitch” in approximately five minutes and three verses. It is taking me an entire volume. Actually, I admire the genius of this young man, but more than his genius, I admire his courage to speak on an issue from a platform that is not very popular in this western culture.
The Reality of Word Power
Much in the same way that blacks argue that the reconstruction of the word “Nigga” has somehow robbed it of its negative connotation, the use of the word “bitch” in a reframed context does not have the power to extract the negative connotation. It may very well make it easier for some of you to digest and accept, but it does not stop the process of degradation through the human subconscious. It does not stop our young children from creating their own frame of reference when engaging this term. We must understand that while there are instances in which words have transitioned through an etymological metamorphosis over time, the transition was over the course of centuries and the original usage was completely abandoned. That is not the case with the term “bitch.” The word is still used in many circles in a negative context when referring to women of any color. It is also the primary reference to a female dog.
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So, while our youth may see a positive frame of reference on one level, they will continually encounter the negative frame of reference on a number of different levels, meaning that the negative frame of reference will prove superior in framing their perspective of the word.
Even when it comes to adults, this dynamic can easily be seen in the manner in which females will refer to themselves as “bad bitches,” which is supposed to have a positive context; however, the same person will become unglued if a man or someone they don’t know or respect refers to them as a bitch.
The Presence of an Identity Crisis
There has been a consistent campaign to ensure that this negative term infiltrates the black culture, especially when it comes to cultural platforms such as hip hop music, if you can even call it that today. All of the top artists have made the term popular and acceptable, but they have done nothing to eliminate the devastating impact that the term has on the human subconscious. This assault by certain aspects of mainstream media to proliferate black culture with negative terms has been exacerbated by a perpetual identity crisis. When a group of people is struggling with their identity. When they are not sure of who they are, and they are inundated with self-hatred, it is easy to suggest to them that they are something less than what they are. It is easy to pass off to them terms of reference that are degrading.
When a black woman is aware of the royal blood that is coursing through her veins, she will resist any notion that she is a “bitch.” When the black man is aware of who he is, and that he comes from the womb of royalty, it will no longer be acceptable to refer to even the black woman he despises as a “bitch.” This is because he understands that his blackness encompasses greatness and he will refuse to use any derogatory terms in addressing blackness in general.
Relatively speaking, I am not that old, but I am old enough to remember a time in which it was completely unacceptable to refer to a black woman as a bitch. It was the most disrespectful thing that a man could do, and there were definitely no black women referring to themselves as bitches. Somewhere along the way, the lack of self-awareness exposed us to the pernicious attacks of subtle suggestion. Somewhere along the line, it became acceptable to insult our women. Somewhere along the line black women found it to be an acceptable course of action to degrade themselves.
What our women need to understand is that a significant part of the issues that you are having in attempting to get the black man to respect and revere you is the fact that you are not respecting and revering yourselves. The black man has spent his life wrestling with this term, and no matter how much he attempts to reconcile it with a shifted frame of reference, it still produces a negative connotation. So, when you associate yourself with this term, subconsciously, the black man categorizes you in a negative light. He does not want to fall in love with a “bitch.” He does not want to marry a “bitch.” He does not want to conceive his progeny with a “bitch.” In fact, he will hate himself any time that he finds himself connected to he perceives to be a “bitch,” and he will use this very word as his primary weapon to strike back when he feels the need to hurt you.
Black men need to understand that as leaders we must set the standard. First of all, we must banish this word from our vocabulary of cultural expression — period! Secondly, we must insist that our women banish it as well. I don’t care how a black woman may be behaving, she is still a black woman, not a bitch. We will never be able to elevate ourselves while simultaneously degrading ourselves in any shape, form or fashion. We must learn to celebrate our blackness on every level. I challenge both, black men and black women, to learn how to respect one another, no matter how you may be feeling at any given moment. Before we can be respected and revered by others, we must first respect and revere ourselves! ~ Dr. Rick Wallace, Ph.D.