Well, it seems, that in many arenas, simply speaking your mind wins you a raggedy crown for Miss Angry Black Woman USA. And yet another nod to the nonsense came as the First Lady made top news today.
Michelle Obama became a hot topic, not for the eloquent words of encouragement and graceful dignity she’s known for, but for refusing to compete with a heckler at a fundraiser event and threatening to leave if the heckler wouldn’t be quiet .
The incident sparked major debate on the Web about whether Obama responded to the heckler in the appropriate manner, with fears and mentions of that age-old phrase “angry black woman” showing up somewhere in there. (And this isn’t the first time this phrase has been uttered in connection to the First Lady.)
Though Obama received support for her response from event attendees and advocates on the Web, many professional women of color still face the backlash of a label that needs to be put to bed. In 2014, that tired prevalent notion that any time a black woman speaks up—and it’s not to coddle, coo or sweet talk—she’s “angry” or “aggressive” is getting old.
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Read More: http://www.blackenterprise.com/career/heckler-michelle-obama-angry-black-woman-stereotype/
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