Does My Body Offend You?

Over the last few weeks, there has been some talk about our good sis Chloe Bailey and her Instagram and TikTok posts. For those of you who have been living under a rock or maybe, just not interested, Chloe Bailey is one half of the sister vocalist duo ChloeXHalle. These ladies can SAAAANG, and their performances are top tier! That’s to be expected when you are being molded by the queen of entertainment, Beyoncè. The sisters have raw talent oozing from their ears and collectively are a force but stand firm on their own just the same. 

The sisters recently decided to create separate pages (while still keeping their joint account) due to their solo projects. Halle Bailey is filming for The Little Mermaid, and Chloe is continuing to work on her music. With all the social media challenges taking form and calling everyone to set up cameras in their homes and “Buss It,” of course you would not be surprised to see some of your favorite celebrities participating too. That is the case for Chloe; let’s just say she did her thang and left NO CRUMBS! But with that and her other posts of sensuality and just living the life of a young 20 something female came the hate and the negative comments. There were comments about her seeking attention, being thirsty for the attention of her recent follower, Drake. There were all types of suggestions of “keeping it classy” and “ dressing more modestly.” She responded to the backlash with a tearful post about being unaware of her sexuality being taken in such an over-sexualized way. 

My issue with this has been an issue within the black community for a long while. When it comes to Black girls or women, why are our bodies needing to be tamed or controlled for the likes of someone being uncomfortable with sexuality that we are not intentionally putting out? Why are our bodies sexualized from such a young age and we are penalized for our shapes? There are plenty of white women or women of other races that make it their mission to shove their sexuality down the throats of everyone in the world, and they argue that they are fluid and free and their bodies are not science projects and shouldn’t be the topic of any political decision. Black girls are not afforded that luxury. Not even by our own family, coming up we are taught to dress a certain way so that we don’t come off as “fast” or a “ho.”. Chloe is not the first or last Black girl to fall victim to this back and forth rhetoric about what is right and what is not when it comes to sharing your sensuality but she is the latest victim in this fight and it is tiring and sad. To hear from adults twice her age that she SHOULD live in a way that appeases them is hilarious and shows how much pressure Black girls apply every day. Our bodies have been the focal point of astonishment and amusement ever since Sarah Baartman, the South African woman who was objectified because of what Europeans thought, was an abnormal body. It’s not okay to talk in a way that beats down a young black woman’s confidence and sensuality due to you being uncomfortable with how she looks and how she decides to share her sensuality. The real issue is why most people’s thoughts go directly to sex when shown a Black woman’s body. When a woman of another race shares their body in the same way, only then is it exotic or beautiful. 

As Black women, we carry the world and its shit on our back, and we aren’t even granted the unwavering self-love we try to find in this cold place. To see and hear all of the comments from outside sources and those close to us is a slap in the face, and we are not apologizing for being the fruit and the roots. We are not apologizing for being sensual—shame on those who have so much to say from their phone and computer screens. A young Black woman finding her way in an industry (and a world) that tells her every day that she isn’t good enough is difficult, to say the least; the extra spice from outside people is not welcome. We will no longer care or adjust to make you comfortable. It’s time to focus on the uplifting, and maybe you will see some light within yourself during the process. 

*Photos courtesy of IMDB

About the Author:  Germôna Sharp