Submitted by Malinda Kuhn
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Former President Donald Trump, known for his sharp tongue, has been quick to throw insults at Vice President Kamala Harris, referring to her as “nasty,” “vicious,” “horrible” and a “monster” in light of her recent presidential endorsement by President Joe Biden. But social media celebrity and best-selling author Pastor Jameliah Gooden has clapped back, explaining that as a Black woman, Harris is none of these things — she’s simply misunderstood.
“What many see as aggression or meanness or nastiness is what others might call assertion or drive,” Gooden said. She writes at length about this subject in her popular self-help memoir, The Death of the Angry Black Woman, which explores stereotypes placed upon Black women, where those stereotypes come from and how society can overcome them.
“As Black women, we have to fight twice as hard to get where we are,” Gooden said. “We have to be assertive. And men do this all the time. They’re assertive too. But unfortunately, there is a negative stereotype surrounding the ‘angry Black woman.’ People are intimidated when we assert ourselves, and that can be misconstrued.”
Gooden hopes that by better understanding these stereotypes and how they came to be, society will learn to look past fallacious labels and misconceptions.
At the same time, Gooden hopes to be a voice for Black women who, in a society that continues to marginalize them, often have a lot of reasons to be angry.
“Many Black women come from backgrounds of abuse, mistreatment or violence –– and they become fighters. Through my book, I hope to be that voice in their head, the one we all hear but rarely acknowledge, encouraging them to move on, let go of anger, reject hateful labels, embrace their powerful femininity and live the life God intended them to live.”
Gooden’s messages reflect her passion for helping women toss anger to the curb and chuck false labels. Because while we can’t change history, we can create a stronger future.
