The narrative of what it means to be a black woman is ever-changing. There is no ‘perfect,’ but there are lots of titles to describe the rapidly growing culture. In a vlog titled, “Why Im Not a Carefree Black Girl,” Philogynoir discusses why she’s not a carefree black girl and the issue she has with other black women saying they are. Understanding the importance of taking back our own images, Philogynoir discusses in her video how the language and politics behind being a carefree black girl can be exclusionary. She argues that every black girl isn’t carefree and then goes on to make it clear that “Especially black girls aren’t carefree.” So who can be carefree? She goes on to list a few reasons to explain that carefree only happens if you have a certain amount of money or don’t have to worry about student loans or getting money for rent.
Believing that being a carefree black girl is exclusionary and unrealistic, Philogynoir furthermore feels that it’s as if being deemed a carefree black girl is almost a form of respectability politics. She believes it’s an attempt to disassociate ourselves from those ‘other’ black women, that we are different. On the surface, this title of carefree black girl seems organic and sweet and all-encompassing. But once you dig down deeper, she believes it’s something different.
