The evolution of the Black wild woman

Women Who Run with Wolves

I’ve been thinking about the Wild Woman Archetype and how it manifests for Black women. In my last post about reparenting yourself, I mentioned the book Women Who Run with Wolves, written by Jungian Analyst Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D. The central premise of the book is the wild woman archetype and how it is often repressed within us by the expectations of patriarchal structures we navigate. The wild woman archetype embodies independence, creativity, and a deep connection to intuition and nature.

Several Black women who lived life on their terms come to mind, such as historical figure Zora Neale Hurston, the late icon Tina Turner, and bad gal Rihanna. The qualities of the wild woman, when fully realised, liberate the spirit of women, but can, at times, make her too much when measured against societal norms. I also think about the role race plays in a woman’s ability to live this way and still thrive in the long term.

To be a wild woman as a Black woman; what’s possible? What are the costs and the consequences of that? The wild woman represents a woman in the fullest expression of who she is meant to be. Black women who are public figures rarely have the opportunity to roll through phases of being young and weird, enjoy the recklessness of youth, bask in the freedom of sexual expression, stir up controversy, and still rise to achieve success at the highest level and be respected in their career.

Can a Black wild woman have it all, the family on her own terms, a successful career, a flourishing support system rooted in healthy relationships, and financial freedom?

Below are three Black wild women whose talent influenced different pockets of the last century. These women lived complex lives that played out differently depending on the time they lived in. They made the most of what they were given, lived courageously, and intentionally created their lives, each one paving the way for the next generation.

Wild Woman: Zora Neal Hurston (Ahead of her time)

“I have the nerve to walk my own way, however hard, in my search for reality, rather than climb upon the rattling wagon of wishful illusions.— Zora Neal Hurston

Zora grew up in Eatonville, Florida, the oldest all Black-incorporated town, incorporated in 1887. Growing up in a town established by African American freedmen surrounded by Black leaders and business owners during Jim Crow shaped Zora’s outlook through a lens of Black excellence and possibility. She became one of the most significant writers in American literature and a key contributor during the Harlem Renaissance, influencing the likes of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. Zora was a woman who was determined and confident in her talent. She shaved 10 years off her age to obtain a free high school education at 26. She earned an Associate’s degree from Howard University and a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College, the first African American woman to do so. Her anthropological work took her on solo trips to Jamaica, where she observed Maroon Obeah practices, and to Haiti, where she observed Voodoo practices. She travelled through the Jim Crow South, conducting research, packing a pistol. She was as courageous as they came. She had three short marriages in her lifetime and lived child-free. With no keen interest in being tethered, she devoted her life to her craft.

But her era was not made for a woman of her independent spirit and boldness to thrive. Her dependence on funding from a few patrons of the arts and the lack of a stable financial anchor had many downsides. Zora died at St. Lucie County Welfare Home after suffering from a stroke. Her life ended in poverty and obscurity. She was buried in an unmarked grave in Eatonville, Florida. Alice Walker, inspired by her work, discovered her grave and got a headstone placed on it. She brought Zora’s story and work into the broader literary conversation. While her independence produced prolific contributions to the American literary canon, I wonder how well-rounded her life would have been if she lived in today’s world with fewer societal barriers and more resources for creatives.

Wild Woman: Tina Turner (The courage to start over)

“So that’s what I did. I just kept going. I never said, “Well, I don’t have this, and I don’t have that.” I said, “I don’t have this yet, but I’m going to get it. ― Tina Turner, My Love Story

Born in 1939, the later icon Tina Turner, dubbed the Queen of Rock & Roll, would have been entering her 20s as Zora Neal Hurston transitioned from the earth. She built a career navigating the challenges of racism in America and a tumultuous relationship with her manager and then husband, Ike Turner. Tina’s influence inspired the likes of Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, and Mick Jagger. Her rising star came to a halt when she decided that enough was enough and gave up everything to liberate herself from her abusive marriage to Ike. She left the marriage, taking only her stage name, Tina Turner, and a few possessions. It took seven years of living with friends, performing at smaller venues, and opening for other artists before Tina made a meteoric comeback at age 44 — an impossible feat. She became a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honoree and believed in love enough to remarry and live a happy, peaceful life with her husband, music executive Erwin Bach, in Switzerland.

Whenever you watch an interview with Tina Turner in the latter half of her life, she radiates light, confidence, and a vision of possibility. She believed in herself enough to blow up an old life that was unhealthy and forged ahead into uncertainty with a certainty that if she didn’t give up, she could recreate success in music and enjoy it as a liberated version of herself. She died in Küsnacht, Switzerland, content, loved, loving, and having achieved everything she set out to do.

Wild Woman: Rihanna (The woman who has it all)

“I think women want freedom. They want to be empowered. They want hope. They want love; they want all the things that I want, and I’m not afraid to say those things and act on them, and I think that’s why they identify with me.”— Rihanna

Rihanna has accomplished so much at just 37, being her unapologetic self. She left the small island of Barbados as a teenager to chase a dream of becoming a global icon. When her debut album Pon De Replay hit the airwaves, she could have easily gotten lost in the shuffle among the slew of talented women who were styled similarly at the time, like Beyoncé, Ciara, and many other female artists during the light-brown hair era. She pivoted with the Good Girl Gone Bad album, debuting an edgier look, and started her ascent into the global fashion icon and music star we know today. Rihanna has never pretended to be wholesome, played into respectability politics to fit the mold, or positioned herself as a role model.

She speaks her mind and hasn’t been afraid to show her candid, wild side on social media, fearlessly claps back at fans and other celebrities, still has her long-term friends from Barbados, shows up with unwavering confidence, has created a family outside the construct of marriage, and has built an empire that transcends music; she stands on the biggest stages and has graced the covers of leading publications. To be a Black woman from humble beginnings, who was confident enough to be her unapologetic, unfiltered self and achieve billionaire status in the process, is truly an amazing feat.

I love that for a Black woman. Because how often do we get to see women, especially Black women, living unbound and growing into well-rounded existences? Cheers to the Black Wild women.

Happy Holidays! Until next time!

Xx

Carly