Michael Myers
By Alysha Mcknight
“I like to wear my mask because it hides my face”- Michael Myers.
A WHITE man.
We are forced to wear the mask because it hides our face. It hides who we are. It hides and silences who I am. A Black woman.
The mask of Michael Myers. 2 empty holes. A muted mouth and a scarred-up face. That's us: Black women. Peeking through the eye holes of the mask that keeps us contained. That keeps us under society’s rules and standards. Yet, every scar on our mask is from being tormented by society’s rumors of being ghetto. Loud. Rude. Aggressive. Angry. Michael Myers earned his rumors of being: Dangerous. Evil. Predatory. And Grim. He killed innocent people for no reason. He killed his family for no reason. He had sexual jealousy for no reason. However, Black women are loud, aggressive, and crazy when we speak up for ourselves against society and its insane rules. Black women are ghetto and whores when we try to embrace our femininity and cultural ways, but we still get treated as if we’re just as bad and dangerous as Michael Myers.
We are the true victims in a society filled with Michael Myers.
I remember the first time someone perceived me this way. It was the beginning of 11th grade, and I applied for an internship where the manager didn’t want to hear anything I had to say. Why? It was because I “sounded Black”. It took me putting on my “white person” voice for me to even get an interview. So instead of speaking with AAVE, I had to up my voice tone and use words and phrases like: “Yes sir” and “No, I haven’t excelled in that portion of dance yet”. Even with an all-black shirt and a black and gold skirt that came a little bit past my knee, my interview was considered over because I was Black.
I was always cautious and worried like the victims of Michael Myers. Repeatedly adjusting to avoid him coming after them. Just like I'm constantly trying to avoid society coming after me. I always worried about how I spoke and how my appearance was portrayed. Looking back on it, I always had my regular voice and a “white” voice, and I never wore anything that would bring attention to myself, because I never wanted to fit the stereotypes of a Black woman.
So why?
Why stop being true to myself? Why keep allowing people to have that hold on me and force me to wear a mask that covers up who I am? Why stop embracing the femininity of a Black woman? Why keep having people silence me? NO MORE!
It took a realization over quarantine that no matter what I do, there are going to be so many rules placed on me because I’m a Black woman. So, I kept speaking up on issues that affected my community. Violence against Black women. Unfair healthcare for people of color. Even though it was mentally draining, I was willing to fight in order to get my voice heard. I didn't stop because of some stereotypes that people make up. Also, I started doing affirmations in the morning and at night:
I am worthy and deserving of love and protection.
I am a beautiful young Black woman.
I will have the courage and confidence to be true to myself.
I won’t be afraid to use my voice.
I am not ghetto or an angry Black woman; I’m a woman who has something important to say.
Even when they tried to burn Michael Myers, he was still alive. He was still Michael Myers, and
he will always be Michael Myers. Just like society tries to dehumanize, degrade, and silence Black women. We are still here. I am still here. I am still a Black woman, and I’ll always be a Black woman.