Self love is unlearning the centuries old myths of black undesirability,

Unlearning self-hatred

Self-love is Sara-Baartman

They used to call me Baartman

They still call me Baartman

I am dark

My ass too fat

White men label my ass Steatopygia, as if it were some illness

Malformed.

I am hypersexualised by uncles, fathers, aunts.

I look like Baartman

Appropriators of this symbol of black feminine beauty, are glorified.

Kardashian

Yet my black Baartman-ness, is disdained, made video-hoe to performances of hypermasculinity

Unfortunately,

White man, black man, black patriarchy princess, white woman, capitalism- all you who embrace misogynoir.

I love Baartman,

She is a testament to the strength of black womxn in the face of adversity

What you deemed ugly and unloveable about her

Is the very essence of her beauty

Sara Baartman is loveable,

Her brown skin is loveable

Her coily hair is loveable

Her Khoi-san heritage is glorious and loveable

Her big black ass is loveable

I love Sara!

I love myself

You will no longer use her as a slur against me

Everytime you call me Baartman, I smile.

For you have glorified my Black Girl Magic!