. . . .AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: “STUFF EDUCATED BLACK WOMEN LIKE”

  

  

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

27. AFRICA– EBW’s are in love with Africa the romanticized idea, the unrealized fantasy, and the Motherland. We are inspired by the historical narratives of Nefertiti, Sheba, Nefertari, and Cleopatra and believe that we descended from a long line of Black Queens. We even believe that early life began in an African woman’s womb. We carry a bit of Africa’s glorious history in our proud step, our sassy attitudes, and in our willingness to set you straight about any issue that has to do with race, in particular Black Women. Yep, we blame the White Man for deflowering Africa but we try not to hold the grudge. We believe that because we come from Africa we have better rhythm than you do and that our S-shaped bodies are made of divine material. In fact, because we love Africa so much, we are quick to tell off any man who dares defile it. Now, many of us have never even been to Africa and may never go, but that doesn’t stop us from feeling a deep attachment to her. Africa is like the family matriarch who died before we were young. We’ve never met her but we’ve been told endless stories about her greatness and we instinctively love her. Any EBW over the age of 35 will have amassed some collection of African art and artifact. It’s like a family portrait. We need to know that Mother Africa is watching over us and our homes.

 

 

21. SUSHI-EBW’s love sushi. It’s cosmopolitan, light on the waist line and sooo delish! If you want to impress her on a first date, take her to a fabulous sushi restaurant (and know how to use chop sticks). In general, EBW’s have an appreciation for internation cuisine like Ethiopian and Thai. It doesn’t mean she won’t throw down on some yams and collared greens, but her tastes are much broader than that.

 

 

26. “THE BLACK GIRL”- EBW’s love rooting for the one or two Black girls in a position typically filled by Whites; the one Black ballerina in the New York City Ballet (though Aesha’s gone), the one Black news anchor on the 10 o’clock news, the Black CEO, the one Black beauty contestant in the Top Ten, even Oprah Winfrey!!! It didn’t matter that many Black women thought Star Jones was arrogant, when she was fired from The View we were pissed! We wanted to riot when Kara Saun didn’t win Project Runway. Really, EBW’s love to see Black women breaking barriers because it reaffirms our sense of purpose. At least once, most EBW’s have experienced being “The Black Girl”. What do we hate? “The Black Girl” that was type-cast on reality tv to represent all Black women. Why? She’s either “ghetto”, the “vixen” or the “bitch” and neither is accurate.

 

 

20. MARTINIS– It’s not that we collectively love the taste of a Martini more than we do red wine, pinot grigio, or champagne, it ‘s that we love the way the glass is shaped. A Martini glass is just a sexy instrument to hold between our delicate fingers as we so elegantly work the room. We also love to congregate in Martini Bars and try different types. Pomegranate anyone?

 

 

17. TRAVEL– What begins in college as Spring Break in Jamaica and semesters abroad turns into a life-long commitment to seeing the world. EBW’s are cosmopolitan and we love experiencing different cultural landscapes. We like to travel with our husbands or ‘Sig-O’’s and with our best girlfriends. We especially like to frequent places where there are other Educated Black Folk, like Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard, Sag Harbor, and Hilton Head. EBW’s also enjoy European vacations, and most will experience London, Paris, Italy, and Spain at least once in their lifetime.

 

14. FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE– Despite the fact that for some of us EBW (NOT ME), our secret ambition is to marry a well-off Educated Black Man, quit our job, have babies and become a PTA/Jack & Jill/ Soccer mom, until then, we are wiling to climb the corporate and academic ladder. Our mother’s taught us the gospel of self-sufficiency and the value of an excellent education. We’re not dating to hit the jack pot. We don’t have our palms out. In fact, we strive to realize our greatest potential, whether it’s as an entertainer, entrepreneur, or any other profession. We just want a man that can match us in wit, intelligence, and success. We also know that as long as we have financial independence we can hold our own in a relationship. So if our Knight In Shining Armor leaves us for, let’s say, a cheap courtesan, we can take care of business. Let me just state, this separates a real EBW from a fake one… and a fake one can be educated academically, but not in self. An EBW is not a gold-digger, we just attract the men with the gold. We don’t enjoy merely making our own money, we know how to balance a check book and keep track of funds. In a marriage, the EBW will frequently handle the finances.

 

 

10. THE ARTS– Because most EBW’s participated in some capacity in the performing arts during their childhood, we grow up to be lovers of culture. We love going to the theater, and not just the Apollo and the Beacon Theater to see the latest production on the “Chitlin’ Circuit” (though don’t get me wrong, an EBW will be front and center at a Tyler Perry play or some other “Momma I Want to Sing”). We enjoy performances such as Alvin Ailey, Jazz at the Lincoln Center, and Broadway musicals, especially those shows starring Black Folks. We love to spend an evening at a good jazz club and we usually become avid collectors of Black art.

 

 

12. LANGUAGES– EBW’s have an affinity for speaking more than one language fluently. Being Multi-lingual is a sign of education and worldliness. We also love to show off our language skills in front of unsuspecting White People. While French, Spanish , and Italian are by far the most popular, other EBW’s have been known to master Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic (moi), German and Russian.

 

 

9. SCARVES– Scarves are the erudite fashion statement. EBW’s swear by their scarves and not the ones we wrap around her heads at night to protect our ‘do at night (though those are very important too). The scarf is a class marker. It says, “I am an educated Black Woman”. That’s why we only wear ones you’ll notice, like vibrant pashminas, pastel plaid Burberry’s, beautiful silk scarves and even retro-print Pucci neck ties. EBW’s have made scarf tying an art and we try to out-do each other with new ways to drape our scarves around any chosen outfit. Scarves…. Its just something we do.

 

 

6. GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY– Since we were little girls, we were taught the mantra, “To whom much is given, much is expected”. Now even if we weren’t born in the lap of luxury, growing up we did community service; with the church, with school, or even with Jack and Jill. Chances are that our parents, particularly our mothers, set a standard of giving back and we follow it until well until our adult lives. In college, many EBW will at least for one semester, mentor or tutor a child (a Black child though this is implicit). The best aspect of the Black Women Organizations that many EBW’s join is that many of them are founded on principles of civic involvement and philanthropy. Our goal in life is to get ahead and uplift our people in the process, though admittedly some EBW’s partake in do-gooding because it ‘looks good’. Even if the adult EBW doesn’t give her time to the community (and by community we mean Black community), she will at least give back monetarily. Giving back to the community… it’s just something we do.

 

4. MICHELLE OBAMA– Barack Obama is an awesome candidate, but despite his honorable stance on the War in Iraq, health care, and the economy, what an EBW likes best about Barack is his wife Michelle. That’s right. Thank you Barack for choosing a successful, highly-educated, sophisticated, and beautiful Black woman as your wife and as the mother of your children. The election may not be over yet, but already Michelle is our First Lady. She is our patron saint. She is the Corretta Scott King of our generation. She’s not just the senator’s wife. Michelle has an identity of her own and an incredible academic and professional background. She can deliver just a fiery speech as he and address an audience of voters on any issue. And still, we can see how devoted she is to supporting her husband. We love that. We especially love that Michelle defies every stereotype that the media tries to project onto Black Women, those stereotypes EBW’s constantly fight to contradict. Older EBW’s admire her, and in case you were wondering, Michelle is the women that all of us Generation X EBW’s are trying to be.