Blogpost by Bridgette Betared

The phrase “black bodies of desire, displacement, and discontent” reflects the complex relationship between race, power, and identity. Desire often reflects how black bodies have been commodified and sexualized, particularly during colonialism, slavery, and their afterlives. In historical narratives, art, and media, black bodies are often reduced to objects of fascination or fear, presented as “other,” and fetishized through exoticism. This perpetuates a cycle in which desire becomes a tool of domination, tying black bodies to narratives that deny their complexity.

Displacement emerges as a central consequence of these dynamics, both physically and metaphorically. The transatlantic slave trade violently uprooted black people from their homelands, forcing them into a diasporic existence with immense trauma. This displacement has since been reflected in systemic and structural exclusions, such as residential segregation, mass incarceration, and gentrification. Metaphorically, displacement represents the alienation felt by many Black people when they navigate spaces where their identities are marginalized or erased.

Discontent reflects the resistance, frustration, and struggle inherent in these experiences. The weight of desire and displacement foster a sense of injustice and the drive to confront it. Black communities have long resisted these narratives, asserting their agency and reclaiming the meaning of Black identity. Movements like the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, and Black Lives Matter highlight how Black people have fought against the dehumanizing forces of systemic racism and oppression. Writers like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison have shed light on this discontent, giving voice to Black existence’s pain, anger, and resilience.

This image makes me think a lot about the desire aspect. This is a mood board that most, not if all, black girls that I have met throughout my life can relate to. Growing up, being called intelligent was the best compliment I could ever receive. I went to a city school up to the 3rd grade; it was a tiny elementary school, and mainly children in the community went there. Every morning, on the announcements, they would either ask an English or math question. Even back then, I was too shy to try and go down and answer. However, my mom and aunt, who volunteered at the school, always told me, "You are so smart. Never be afraid to show that off." So one day, when I knew my aunt was going to be in the office, I went down and answered, it was an easy question, like 4 x 4. I didn't think much of how simple the answer came to me, but seeing how proud my aunt was, that's when I knew I desired to be as bright as I could get to continue seeing that look on her face. 

From 4th grade to 12th grade, I went to a county school. I would not call it a PWI because we had a lot of different ethnicities in the community. But going from seeing mainly children who looked like me to being 1 of the two black girls in my class was a significant change for me. I felt out of place always. Even when the black kids interacted with me, I felt different. Maybe it was because I was soft-spoken, perhaps it was because I was raised more sheltered and by women 2 decades older than me, or maybe they just found I knew that I did not belong there. I didn't get a group of friends till my 8th-grade year, and even then, I felt very different from them. We had all the same interests. The only difference was I was the only black girl who also had a very strict mother. I feel like they never truly got me and never really will. The first time I felt seen in years was during my freshman year at Morgan. I met a black girl who was just like me, and throughout my years here, I've found a lot more and finally feel like I belong.

When I think of discontent, I think about the fact that black women can truly never be enough by being themselves. The number of times I've been told I'm too soft-spoken in my life is so unreal. It makes me think of the speech from the movie BarbieLinks to an external site.

It also reminds me of the new Tyler Creator song I Killed YouLinks to an external site., which is about the expectations of black people's hair.