Still

     This week in class after reading "Black Men and Public Spaces" by Brent Staples, we discussed how black men tend to be "perceived as dangerous"  by others, especially females. I personally can attest to this statement- last Saturday while waiting outside for a concert in Detroit, some black men were walking by, and my first instinct was to be afraid. Should I have been? Is it logical to think that every black man that passes by in Detroit is out to get me? Probably not. However, unfortunate as it may be, stereotypes govern how we view things in our society.
     One stereotype that is particularly deplorable to me is the belief that women are weaker than men, not as powerful as men, and need protection from men. I find that to be ridiculous. A person's strength and self worth should not be defined by which chromosomes they happened to be born with. Yes, women lack the testosterone levels that men have. But that doesn't mean that we can't be strong and protect ourselves.
     This doesn't mean that all women need to trade in their sweaters for leather jackets, singing for football, their femininity for masculinity. That's besides the point. We need to realize that we can be both feminine and strong. In The Walking Dead, there is a wide variety of self-sufficient female characters, ranging from the katana wielding, stoic Michonne, to the optimistic Beth, a girl who still sings, who still believes in good people. While these characters provide good examples of strong females, hopefully it won't take a zombie apocalypse for us to conquer this stereotype.

"I'm not Michonne. I'm not Carol. I'm not Maggie. I survived, and you don't get it 'cause I'm not like you or them. But I made it!" -Beth Greene, "Still"