Mind Your Own Bonnet and Business
A series of questions to ask yourself before engaging in respectability politics targeting Black women
A fiery debate about whether or not Black women should wear hair bonnets outside of the house made its rounds on social media after comedian Mo’Nique posted an Instagram video about seeing the hair accessory and other casual wear on some young Black women at the airport. In the video, Mo’Nique associates these occurrences with a lack of pride and respect and encouraged the “wiser sisters” to “tap” women who “look like they don’t care” to “show them what [they’re] worth.”
Almost immediately, the internet was ablaze with commentary centering the always timely conversation of respectability politics or the belief that if you behave in a “respectable” manner (usually with standards prioritizing White cultural values), you can achieve some sense of worthiness in society. It offers a condescending “don’t make us look bad” approach that prioritizes the White gaze and often suggests that racial progress can, in some way, be facilitated by respectable social markers.
Rather than delve into the history of respectability politics and how Black women must contend with a barrage of nonsense by merely existing (e.g. microaggressions, misogynoir, pay inequity etc.), I’m choosing to…
