FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RALEIGH, NC - (August 7, 2024) I have never heard a non-Black girl described as "fast." It is probably for the same reason I have never had a non-Black friend tell a story about a parent threatening to "knock them into next week." Sometimes, it feels like I am part of the cool tribe when I see a string of letters like "WDILL—BBTF?" My ability to fill in all the missing letters and then cackle seems innocent enough.
But underneath is a harmful tradition of what Black adults have done with their hands and their mouths. As my mother often reminds me, all parents do the best they can with what they know. Then she tags "when we know better, we do better" to the end of that statement. She is right. I watch how she dotes over her grandchildren, grand-nieces, and nephews. She's better.
We settled the "whooping" argument a while ago. Don't hit anyone who can't hit you back. We found other ways to correct and repair behavior. Those who opposed this reform pointed to the Bible's warning to "spare the rod, spoil the child." The "no whooping awakening" happened after pairing the Biblical witness with the historical reality. Why did enslavers beat enslaved children but not their own? Looking at it from that perspective, we decided not to hit the children in my family. It is a harmful and demoralizing experience. We found ways to spare the rod and not destroy the child.
There is more work to do, specifically around Black girls.
I was reading a social media thread where the "Black Aunties" were going in on a video of a group of Black girls. When I came across a comment (paraphrasing), "Look at their little fast asses," it is the closest thing to triggering me that I have felt. I produce and create content on diverse platforms and am becoming more aware of how others are "triggered." But I couldn't identify with that phenomenon. Then I read that message thread. Not only had the one woman mislabeled the Black girls, but several others agreed with her language.
Of course, I had to chime in. Mindful of how everyone on social media is entitled to their perspective, my comment was simple: "Have you ever described a non-Black girl as 'fast'? Why not?" I concluded my remarks with, "I am going to launch a campaign called 'No Such Thing As Fast.'"
I got a ton of "likes" for that reply. Here I am, making good on that commitment.
"No Such Thing As Fast" is a campaign to correct the lexicon surrounding Black girls. If words create worlds, then No Such Thing As Fast (NSTAF) is an intentional use of power language to empower Black girls and dismantle others' use of harmful descriptors.
The NSTAF campaign includes:
1. Promoting books published by Unshackled Publishing, including Premature Pleasures, Secret Shame, Backseats and Bleachers: A High School Love Story, and Cover The Coo.
2. TikTok/YouTube videos reading book excerpts, followed by a brief exhortation.
3. "For God So Loved Those Loud Black Girls" live storytelling events featuring Black women telling narratives about growing up.
We will also host storytelling workshops for middle school and high school students, including the campus-wide storytelling event "My Block Speaks." Professional development workshops for teachers and campus leaders will also be available to help them develop a loving lexicon and encourage growth and well-being in all students.
The first part of the campaign includes downloading ebooks of the Unshackled Publishing series (first up: Premature Pleasures. Next, participants may sign up for workshops hosted by The Storytelling Institute. The TikTok/YouTube series will go online after Labor Day (September 3, 2024). The final part of the campaign will be a "For God So Loved Those Loud Black Girls" tour in select cities.
For more information, visit www.nosuchthingasfast.org or email info@storytelling-institute.org.​
“No Such Thing As Fast”: A Lexicon-correcting Campaign
###