In his book Dark Water: Voices From Within The Veil, published seventeen years later, Du Bois pointed out that the “uplift of women is, next to the problem of the color line and the peace movement, our greatest modern cause.” Du Bois further pointed out that when “two of these movements—woman and color—combine in one, the combination has deep meaning.”
Du Bois’s logic was informed by recognition, not only that the oppression and exploitation of African Americans was unnatural and wrong, but also that the struggle for the dignity of Black women in the United States was about the reclamation of an African culture that slavery dealt a blow to. His studies on ancient African history had taught him that in Africa “none is more tenderly loved than the Negro mother.” Du Bois had learned that:
•“Everywhere in Africa […] no greater affront can be offered a Negro than insulting his mother.” He discovered that the Krus, the Fantis, and the Mandingo could withstand an enemy’s blows, but would not put up with abuse directed toward their mothers.
•Among the Dyoor, Du Bois learned that “[a] bond between mother and child which lasts for life is the measure of affection shown.”
•Among the Zulu-speaking Africans and the Waganda, Du Bois found that “the mother is the most influential counselor at the court of ferocious sovereigns, like Chaka or Mtesa; sometimes sisters take her place.”
In these African cultures, Du Bois learned that women were held in high esteem. Evidence for this could be seen in the many queens, the respect given to medicine women, and the participation of women in public meetings in many African societies.
On the basis of his studies on Africa, Du Bois concluded that this picture appeared as if “the great Black race, in passing up the steps of human culture, gave the world not only the Iron Age, the cultivation of the soil, and the domestication of animals, but also, in peculiar emphasis, the mother-idea.”183
The “mother-idea” refers to all that is mentioned above—the centering, the veneration, and the love for womanhood. The “mother-idea” refers to the “sacredness and infallibility of mothers,” which finds expression in an Igbo woman song: “Woman is principal, is principal, is principal.”184 The African “mother-idea” also finds expression in the Ohaffia proverb, “Father’s penis scatters, mother’s womb gathers,” a saying that is both literal and metaphorical.185 The African “mother-idea” was disrupted (among some)—but not destroyed—in the African American community because “the westward slave trade and American slavery struck like doom.” Against the “doom” of American slavery, the “mother-idea” remained a constant in the Black community and characterized the uniquely esteemed and elevated role of womanhood across the African diaspora.
Many African Americans held on tenaciously to their ancestral cultural beliefs that defined their humanity. A conversation between Maya Angelou, a Pan-Africanist and world-renowned poetess, and Nana Nketsia, the University of Ghana’s first vice chancellor, reveals as much. Nana Nketsia addressed Angelou:
You are a mother and we love our mothers […] Africa is herself a mother. The mother of mankind. We Africans take motherhood as the most sacred condition human beings can achieve. Camara Laye, our brother, has said, “The Mother is there to protect you. She is buried in Africa, and Africa is buried in her. That is why she is supreme.”
Angelou reciprocated, affirming the enduring cultural bonds between Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora, bonds that defied the ravages of slavery.
Nana, I appreciate hearing that Africans cherish their mothers. It confirms my belief that in America we have retained more Africanisms than we know. For also, among Black Americans, motherhood is sacred. We have strong mothers, and we love them dearly.186
Echoing Du Bois’s stance against sexism, Professor Sesanti emphasizes that the fight is not a one-time event, but a continual effort. He proposes this can be achieved through a decolonized, Afrocentric education. An Afrocentric “education system should be such that the children are taught that the natural line of descent is through the mother.” This can be demonstrated beyond doubt once it is understood that all human beings are conceived by women. Through Afrocentric education, children should be made aware that the traits of both sexes exist within each human being: within every man there is a woman, and within every woman there is a man. Therefore, any man who hates women is a man who hates an aspect of himself that he cannot come to terms with. His hatred for women is therefore an externalization of this self-hatred.187
Sitting in the Women in Africa class my junior year helped me learn, just as my ancestors, W.E.B. DuBois and Maya Angelou, had learned before me. I was the descendant of a lineage of Black women in Africa who were not characterized by any of the harmful and toxic stereotypes, archetypes, and descriptions that had done nothing to empower me, but had been deliberately deployed by those in the majority to disarm and erode my self-confidence, leading to doubt in myself and my identity while eroding my mental health and emotional well-being, making me question everything around me, including my very existence. Instead, I recaptured the feeling of joy and belonging I felt inside when my African American studies teacher smiled at me and called me “Amina” when I was in the eleventh grade.
journaling questions 
1.How do you connect with or perceive the concept of the African Sacred Feminine, and what significance does it hold for you?
2.What steps can you take to deepen your understanding and connection to the African Sacred Feminine, given its potential transformative power?
3.Can you identify specific stereotypes of Black women that have impacted you personally, either by being imposed upon you or through internalized beliefs?
4.What strategies or practices have you found effective in challenging and countering harmful stereotypes about Black women, both externally and within yourself?
5.In what ways have societal perceptions of Black women influenced your interactions, opportunities, or self-perception?
6.How do you think these societal perceptions and stereotypes manifest in tangible consequences for Black women in various spheres like the workplace, relationships, and personal well-being?
7.What does the concept of “decolonizing the mind” mean to you, especially as a Black woman navigating a world filled with colonized narratives?
8.Can you identify moments or experiences in your life that have contributed to your journey of decolonizing your mind and reclaiming your authentic self?
9.How can you actively engage in deconstructing stereotypes, not just for yourself, but to help shift societal narratives about Black women at large?
10.How does being part of a supportive community of Black women facilitate the process of decolonizing the mind and challenging stereotypes?
affirmations 
1.I am deeply rooted in the African Sacred Feminine, channeling its power, wisdom, and nurturing spirit.
2.The strength of countless generations of powerful Black women flows within me, guiding and sustaining me.
3.I rise above stereotypes, knowing that my worth and identity are not defined by society’s narrow perceptions.
4.I am authentically me, embracing my unique journey and experiences, undeterred by external judgments.
5.Every day, I reclaim my narrative, actively decolonizing my mind and breaking free from limiting beliefs.
6.I challenge and change societal perceptions, recognizing that my voice and presence matter.
7.I am on a continuous path of healing and growth, shedding the weight of imposed stereotypes and embracing my true self.
8.I draw strength from my ancestors, standing tall on their shoulders, and honoring their legacy through my actions.
9.I am part of a vibrant community of Black women, and together we uplift, support, and empower one another.
10.I am a beautiful blend of history, culture, resilience, and wisdom, and I wear each facet with pride.
140.Hill Collins, Patricia. 2009. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. New York: Routledge.
141.Badejo, Diedre. 1996. Osun Seegesi: The Elegant Deity of Wealth, Power, and Femininity. Trenton: Africa World Press.
142.Hill Collins, Patricia. 2013. On Intellectual Activism. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
143.Drake, St. Clair. Black Folk Here and There: An Essay in History and Anthropology. United States: Center for Afro-American Studies, University of California, 1987.
144.Razak, Ariska. 2016. “Sacred Women of Africa and the African Diaspora: A Womanist Vision of Black W Vision of Black Women’s Bodies and the African Sacr s Bodies and the African Sacred Feminine.” International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 35 (1): 129–147.
145.Salami, 2015.
146.Meisenhelder, 2003.
147.Parkinson, Justin. 2016. “The significance of Sarah Baartman.” BBC. www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35240987.
148.“Stereotype.” n.d. Oxford Reference. Accessed July 5, 2023. www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100530532;jsessionid=022F8C533615C62CE4CE90B41DF2AA17.
149.White, Deborah G. 1999. Ar’n’t I a woman?: female slaves in the plantation South. New York: WW Norton.
150.Jerald, Morgan C., L. M. Ward, Kyla D. Fletcher, Lolita Moss, Khia Thomas, and Kyla D. Fletcher. 2017. “Subordinates, Sex Objects, or Sapphires? Investigating Contributions of Media Use to Black Students’ Femininity Ideologies and Stereotypes About Black Women.” Journal of Black Psychology 43, no. 6 (September): 608–635.
151.Anderson, Joel R., Elise Holland, Courtney Heldreth, and Scott P. Johnson. 2018. “Revisiting the Jezebel Stereotype: The Impact of Target Race on Sexual Objectification.” Psychology of Women Quarterly 42, no. 4 (December): 461–476.
152.Leath, Seanna, Martinque Jones, Morgan C. Jerald, and Tiani R. Perkins. 2022. “An investigation of Jezebel stereotype awareness, gendered racial identity and sexual beliefs and behaviors among Black adult women.” Culture, Health & Sexuality 24, no. 4 (April): 517–532.
