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Black women over 50 are different from those I experienced growing up. Back then, the focus was on being the caretakers of the household, often neglecting personal needs and self-care. Life as a wife and mother was their sole identity, but as the years passed and mindsets evolved, women began to lean into their multifaceted nature. They reclaimed agency over their careers and family lives and honored the parts of themselves that society deemed inappropriate because of their age.
Today, Black women over 50 exude a sense of freedom that was once repressed in the women of the 90s and 00s. They wear what they want, do what they want, and because self-care is a top priority, they look just as good as the women in their 30s. For me, turning 50 no longer feels like a suppression of self but an induction into an elite club of women who know exactly who they are.
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For example, On October 7, Toni Braxton shared a cheeky post to her Instagram page in honor of her 58th birthday. The mother of two’s timeless beauty and sex appeal has been consistent with her brand since the early 90s. But in the last 8 years, she’s served an unapologetic confidence that makes me say, “I can’t wait to turn 50!”
We live in a world where growing older isn’t embraced as it should be. Everyone is obsessed with looking younger instead of honoring the chapter life has gifted them with. Each decade produces life lessons. Your twenties are for having fun and making mistakes. Your 30s are for honoring mistakes so you can learn and grow from them. And in your 40s, you learn to create firm boundaries and stop people-pleasing, which sets you up for liberation in your 50s.
Lucky for us, we have lots of evidence to test this theory. Check out 15 Black women over 50 who personify confidence, class, joy, and freedom.
1. Gabrielle Union, 51
Gabrielle Union attends the “America’s Got Talent” Season 14 Finale Red Carpet at Dolby Theatre on September 18, 2019 in Hollywood, California. Source: Rodin Eckenroth / Getty
Gabrielle Union’s youthful glow makes 51 look like 25. The timeless actress and author experienced motherhood at the age of 46 via surrogacy, and now she’s living her best life with her husband, step-children, and daughter.
On her 50th birthday, the Being Mary Jane actress posted a photo of herself, her husband and daughter with the caption, “As we start this journey across the world for my 50th, I just want to luxuriate in my gratitude for my family, my amazing friends and all the friends I haven’t even met in person who have kept this train on the tracks this year, even after I collided with myself. Thank y’all for rockin with the old homie. I appreciate you guys more than you can imagine.”
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