Are we supporting other women or not?

If you have not watched any episodes of, “From the Bottom Up” on Centric TV, I strongly encourage you to check it out. Yes, I know it is another reality show or docu-series as they are now being referred. This one is a refreshing taste of what I would like to say represents true reality of grown women. Before you get all up in arms on that last statement, read further.

“From the Bottom Up” is about 5 women who made some mistakes but are now working their way back to redemption from society but more importantly themselves. One of the stars, Stacii Johnson said she wanted to bring these women together as a support system to one another while changing the world view of them based on all the negative press they have received. I watched all 6 episodes as they shared their stories of trying to rebuild from past decisions. Did they agree all the time? No. Did they get in each other’s personal space ready to pull hair and drag each other to the ground? DEFINITELY NOT! It was refreshing to see women supporting women just like the now canceled series on the OWN Network, “Love in the City.” I clapped with such excitement during the reunion show of “From the Bottom Up” as a heated discussion was brewing between two the ladies. Christine Beatty immediately shut it down with her “what I am not going to do or be a part of is bashing other women.” Check it:

This leads me to the whole point of this article. I always say in my personal and professional life that we as women specifically Black women need to support one another.  As soon as I saw this,  I was immediately reminded of a conversation I had earlier that day regarding local politics. In this conversation of three (myself, another woman and one man), I mentioned how I was not feeling one of our Black female politicians. The other woman quickly said (and I am paraphrasing) “Why not? It seems as if a lot of Black women do not to like or support Black female politicians.” She mentioned how she has heard of the dislike about District of Columbia’s current mayor, Muriel Bowser from Black female constituents.”  My Google search provided tons of evidence supporting that fact. And if I am honest, after the discussion, I learned a few things of why I am a little hesitant to support this local politician but this was long after her first campaign where I made my definitive “just not feeling her” declaration. The more I unpacked it, I could not come up with a valid reason why I have not liked her. It was hard for me to accept that I could preach at my job on how we as Black women should support each other or wishing there was authentic trust of women at my church or trying to correct men AND other women who said, “Women are just catty and can’t get along.” Yet here I was saying I did not like a woman I didn’t even know. It was a hard pill for me swallow but I did. I have prided myself in trying to resolve conflict with other woman in one-on-one situations. You know, the we-dont’-have-to-like-each-other-but-let’s-respect-each-other kind of deal.

So today starts my pledge to really support other Black women in its’ totality – politicians or not. I will not make blanket statements of not liking another Black woman especially if it not based on any factual information and even then I will still support her even if it is from afar. Disclaimer: If she is an axe murderer, child molester or something along those lines, I will not support her but you know what I mean. We can’t continue with the, “I don’t like her cause she thinks she is cute.” Or not “liking her because she is in the position we inspire to be.” We owe it to this new young generation of girls who we need to understand, nurture and support. We have to seize this moment because right now many of them are being influenced by all the fight videos on Facebook, the arguments on Instagram, the Twitter-beefs and the reality shows sending messages, every bad b*tch for themselves. We have to remember it starts with us before we can affect change with others.