Fierce AF
"And though she be but little, she is fierce." (William Shakespeare)
This has been a summer of badass-ness for Beatrix. From a Wonder Woman theatre camp at CTC, to Girls Rock camp, to various outdoor camps and Girl Scout riding camp weekend, it's been all about her being an awesome young woman in charge of her surroundings.
And it has me thinking a lot about what that means in our world right now, in a world that seems more and more bent on oppressing her based on race and gender.
Race, for her, not as much just right now. In fact, she and I just had a discussion about how she had a pretty substantial fight based with a friend because B "isn't really black" because "just look at you!" Which is a topic I'll leave for another time, but is a different kind of identity oppression.
I can identify with the gender element though. I don't remember girls of my generation being encouraged to be fierce — except by being smart, which is its own kind of strength. But I do see it now. Beatrix and her friends are encouraged to excel in all academic fields (she laughed out loud when I told her that I used to be told all the time that girls cannot be good at math), to do all kinds of activities from log-rolling to archery to circus (one of her best circus friends has a shirt that says "I'm not strong for a girl, I'm just strong" and Beatrix can do 5 pull-ups without breaking a sweat), to go to Camp Congress (a one-day girls retreat teaching them about government), and to explore their generally bad-ass side in all things. At the same time, she is sweet and full of grace and loves babies and her dolls and animals and snuggly things.
I love it — and I hope she never loses it.
This has been a summer of badass-ness for Beatrix. From a Wonder Woman theatre camp at CTC, to Girls Rock camp, to various outdoor camps and Girl Scout riding camp weekend, it's been all about her being an awesome young woman in charge of her surroundings.
And it has me thinking a lot about what that means in our world right now, in a world that seems more and more bent on oppressing her based on race and gender.
Race, for her, not as much just right now. In fact, she and I just had a discussion about how she had a pretty substantial fight based with a friend because B "isn't really black" because "just look at you!" Which is a topic I'll leave for another time, but is a different kind of identity oppression.
I can identify with the gender element though. I don't remember girls of my generation being encouraged to be fierce — except by being smart, which is its own kind of strength. But I do see it now. Beatrix and her friends are encouraged to excel in all academic fields (she laughed out loud when I told her that I used to be told all the time that girls cannot be good at math), to do all kinds of activities from log-rolling to archery to circus (one of her best circus friends has a shirt that says "I'm not strong for a girl, I'm just strong" and Beatrix can do 5 pull-ups without breaking a sweat), to go to Camp Congress (a one-day girls retreat teaching them about government), and to explore their generally bad-ass side in all things. At the same time, she is sweet and full of grace and loves babies and her dolls and animals and snuggly things.
I love it — and I hope she never loses it.
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