Strong and silently suffering: Black girls and the Strong Black Woman schema

Abstract

Childhood is a critical developmental period characterized by awareness and understanding of societal norms and expectations. As Black women, we share childhood experiences that formed the basis of our early understanding of what it truly means to be Black in America. Creating a sense of community through our shared experiences, the authors recounted experiences like this one: In a pediatric waiting room years ago, a White child played with a velvet curtain, and was met with adoring gazes and friendly smiles. Minutes later, a Black child playing with the same velvet curtain was immediately approached by a security guard and asked to stop the behavior. Their Black mother verbally exploded at the security guard in defense of her child, condemning racialized double standards to the guard's back as he walked away. The little Black girl who watched her mother publicly lose composure for the first time began learning a lesson that would stay with her for the rest of her life – she was Black, and that had rules. Life would not be fair, but she must always behave in public, and because no one would care about her pain, there was no benefit in expressing it. This girl would fall victim to the “Strong Black Woman” schema, and one day educate others about its harms.