Black Woman In Bloom
Ep.20 What It Means to Be a Black Woman in Bloom
Welcome to the Black Woman in Bloom Podcast, a semi-monthly podcast designed to uplift, encourage and empower Black Women by exploring wellness topics that promote self-care and mindfulness. I’m your host, TaReon Jael, a Certified Health Educator and Medical Lab Scientist. For more information, please visit blackwomaninbloom.com. While I hope you enjoy listening to and learning from the podcast, please remember that it is not a substitute for a relationship with a licensed healthcare provider.
Hello, and welcome to episode 20.
Last episode, I talked about my transition as a new Mom. And in a previous episode way back in 2021, I talked about rebranding the podcast from Wellness for Black Girls to Black Woman In Bloom. One thing that those episodes have in common is that I presented some thoughts on identity.
Identity encompasses the memories, experiences, relationships, and values that create one’s sense of self.
In this episode, I want us to dive into what it means to be a black woman in bloom. By the end of the episode, I hope that you’ll feel uplifted and affirmed in your identity as a Black woman.
After you’ve had a chance to listen, I want to encourage you to share with me what being a black woman in bloom means to you. I’ll touch more on this toward the end of the episode.
Topic 1: “You so Black, when you smile, the stars come out.” -Theresa Wilson
Black
First, let’s talk about “Black.” To me, being black means carrying on the legacy of our ancestors. We can pursue and achieve the things our ancestors dreamed of.
Can you imagine what it must have been like to long for freedom? Or can you imagine what it must have been like to have a vision for your life, but when you tried to make that vision a reality, you faced discrimination and opposition at every turn?
I want to share a family story with you all. My maternal grandfather, Harrison Hill, was born in 1930 in Athens, Georgia. He attended Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia. During his matriculation at Fort Valley State, my grandfather met Juanita Stephens. They later married, settled in Fort Valley, and raised their four children, with their youngest child being my mom.
My grandfather worked as an accountant for Fort Valley State University for approximately 34 years, but he was also a businessman with an entrepreneurial spirit.
Over the years, he owned several small businesses on the side at different times. One of these businesses was the Peter Plenty ice cream truck. He received his business license, stocked up his inventory, and launched the business. After some time, the Peter Plenty Ice Cream truck was doing pretty well, so he decided to expand the business by purchasing a second truck. After he bought the second truck, he applied for another business license with the city.
But unfortunately, this time, the city denied my grandfather’s application for the license on the second truck. In addition to denying his application for the second business license, they refused to renew the license on his first truck. He later found out that the city had plans to open an ice cream store, and they didn't want competition from his ice cream trucks, especially ones owned by a black man. So just like that, the city put my grandfather out of business.
My grandfather pursued different side businesses here and there over the years. Each one had different degrees of ups and downs, but I wonder what my grandfather would have done or achieved had he not had to deal with the racism of that time.
I wonder what ideas he or others like him chose not to pursue or decided to walk away from because they were constantly facing opposition, resistance, and other hardships.
So being black today means being able to pursue our goals and dreams because our ancestors, like my grandfather, paved the way.
I think about the black women and men that endured the unthinkable, the unimaginable, to pursue their goals and dreams. They endured so much to live the lives they wanted to live. They had to fight to go to the schools they wanted to attend. They had to march simply for the right to vote. They had to petition to live in the homes and neighborhoods they wanted to live in. They had to organize and participate in sit-ins to visit the restaurants and places of entertainment they wanted to enjoy.
Being black isn’t always about “the struggle” or our hardships. There’s black joy as well. Being black means having a flavor and a rhythm like no one else. You know it’s like that moment of being in a crowd of us when “Swag Surfin’” comes on, and you can find the rhythm without effort.
It's visiting, or even better, attending an HBCU, specifically Tennessee State University, and hearing the band, specifically the Aristocrat of Bands. Wait a minute. Let me start over. It’s attending Tennessee State University and hearing the grammy-nominated Aristocrat of Bands start playing “Turner's Overture” and immediately swaying to the rhythm and singing, “I’m so glad I go to TSU.”
Topic 2: Woman
What does it mean to be a woman, specifically a black woman?
It's when one of the aunties or sister friends says she's had a dream about some fish, and you think to yourself, “I wonder who it will be this time.”
It's having memories from childhood of sitting down in front of mom to get your hair braided or twisted or plaited or sitting in front of the stove nervously holding your ear as the hot comb is carefully run through your hair to achieve that perfect Easter Sunday hairdo.
It's communicating with another sister with just a look.
It means inherently moving through the world straddling the intersectionality of being black and woman. By navigating that space, we’ve learned how to exist in a realm of duality. We’ve learned and continue to learn how to balance strength and vulnerability. We know how and when to show up and show out while knowing when to pause and take a moment because we know that self-care is an act of resistance.
Topic 3: Bloom
What does it mean to Bloom?
The word “bloom” has many meanings, but when I think of the word bloom as it relates to Black women…this definition resonates with me the most. It means a state or time of beauty, freshness, and vigor and to mature into achievement of one's potential.
A plant needs the correct environment to flower and bloom, so it needs the right amount of sun, water, and nutrients. We, too, need the right environment to grow and reach our full potential.
If a plant is under stress, it won't bloom. This is because it conserves its energy to focus on survival. Oftentimes we, too, find ourselves in survival mode. We’re going from one place to another, trying to do “all the things” while caring for everyone around us.
But our balanced and holistic self-care routines and rituals are the elements we need to not just survive but to thrive, to bloom.
My goal with this podcast is to help other black women thrive and bloom by sharing uplifting, encouraging, and empowering health and wellness information.
I'm by no means saying that I have it all figured out because, like you, I'm still in the midst of my journey. So I hope that through this podcast, we can continue to learn, grow and bloom together.
Journal Prompts
I have a couple of Journal Prompts for you to use for self-reflection. I’ll include a link to these journal prompts in the show notes.
Set a timer for 15 minutes and allow yourself to free-write (uncensored, unedited, stream of consciousness) to the prompt “Who am I?”
What memories, experiences, relationships, and other aspects of your life have made you who you are today?
I’ve shared with you what it means to me to be a black woman in bloom. So I want to encourage you to share with me what being a black woman in bloom means to you.
You can share by heading to blackwomaninbloom.com/episodes/20 and leaving a comment. The links to the references and resources I mentioned in the episode will be there.
You can also share by heading to @blackwomaninbloom and @tareonjael on Instagram and leaving a comment or sliding into my DMs.
Or you can send me an email at tareon@wellnessforblackgirls.com
References and Resources
Bond, B. (2018). Black girls rock!: Celebrating the power, beauty, and brilliance of black women. Atria Books.
“Bloom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloom. Accessed 30 Dec. 2022.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-embracing-your-identity-act-power-liberation-nicole-cruz-mba
Turner’s Overture - I’m So Glad
Turner’s Overture - I’m So Glad · Tennessee State University · President Glenda Glover
The Urban Hymnal ℗ 2022 Tennessee State University
Released on: 2022-09-23
Producer: Sir the Baptist
Producer: Prof. Larry Jenkins
Music Publisher: TSU
Composer Lyricist: TSU