Affection in the black household directly relates to how we learn to treat ourselves, strangers, and loved ones. Showing love, gratitude, appreciation, and kindness in your household (whether verbally or physically) regularly can ultimately affect and change your family’s bond for the better, forever.
Keep reading to learn why it’s so important to allow room for affection in black households.
Hugging
Hugging is a form of affection that is proven to not only reduce stress but also to lower blood pressure and mortality rates. The stipulation that yields over black communities, and black men in particular, of
platonic touching fuels the idea of weakness, pity, and sympathy.
A 2002 study in the journal, Adolescence, found that while cultures that exhibited minimal physical affection toward their young children had significantly higher rates of adult violence, cultures that showed significant amounts of physical affection toward their young children had virtually no adult violence at all.
Smiling
Somewhere along the line, some black men and women were taught that smiling is a sign of weakness and vulnerability.
However, according to a 2010 study, smiling has well-documented social benefits including improving your mood, lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, bettering relationships, relieving pain and
helping you live a longer life.
Comforting
Showing emotion in the black community can often be looked down upon and even discouraged. The truth is, emotions are a natural human response and people can express them for many different reasons. Some cry when they are exceedingly happy and others cry when they are angry or sad.
Comforting or showing empathy towards one another acknowledges that, at the end of the day, we are all still human.
‘I Love You’
Loving someone, and telling them often, is a gift. Not only to the recipient of
your love but yourself as well.
When you truly love someone and find the courage to express it well and express it often, you are giving more of a gift to yourself than anyone else.
Saying “I love you’” to your family is not only allowing yourself to grow, but it is allowing you to nurture one another. That same affection will be returned to you once you pour it into someone else.
Tia Muhammad, BS, is an award-winning freelance content & media creative, copywriter, blogger, digital designer, and marketing consultant. She owns the boutique content and digital media company, jackieGLDN|studio.
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