Plantation Picaninnies: 12 Steps to Healing for Black Women-Step by Step

According to The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University: "The picaninny was the dominant racial caricature of black children for most of this country's history."

The Abuse, Subjection, Subjugation and Objectification of Black Women and Children the world over is a fact, and with that pain also come the MEN -our sons and fathers, nephews, brothers, uncles, cousins- through our wombs, who cannot remain children forever; but we MUST raise them, we DO raise them, for better or for worse in sickness and in health until death do us part.

The abuse of Black women worldwide is not every now and again, it happens so much that we internalize it and do it to ourselves. These are the kinds of things that we go through on a DAILY basis, around the clock - non-stop, without relinquishment. It is never any wonder why so many Black women behave the way we do, given the circumstances.

Whether we are in church battling over a 'position' or a label in corporate America, or fighting and competing with one another in a dead heat out in the streets, the end results are always the same: More abuse and more objectification. A revolving door cycle that never ends and gets passed on, and WE ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO HAVE THE POWER TO END IT.

What is the FIRST STEP TO HEALING? Acknowledging that there IS a problem. Period. We cannot keep ignoring these things and think that the world will get any better, or that it will just go away. IT MATTERS: Hurt people hurt people.