At the beginning of the semester I wrote about Ericka Hart. She’s a sex educator, activist, and breast cancer survivor. Ericka Hart is a strong, bold leader who is willing to take the time to educate people and share her experiences. She opens herself up for criticism and puts herself in positions that others fear. She’s dedicated her life to educating people about race, sexuality, body positivity, how to maintain intersectionality within their discussions and activism. She’s quick to fight back against oppression and speak out when she sees a problem.
A major shadow of her dedication to her work is burnout. She recently wrote about her reaction to someone asking what she does for self-care. In all her work looking out for other people, she forgets to stop and take time to do little things for herself. Her exhaustion shows in her responses to people sometimes. Of course, she’s not required to educate every person asking her to explain something they could learn from a quick Google search or just by being more observant in their daily lives, but she can be quick to shut someone down when she’s had enough of explaining and re-explaining her point.
She’s written about the need to unlearn the idea that black people are defined by their trauma. It seems like having her trauma so clearly on display (her double mastectomy scars are usually visible, and she’s often introduced as a breast cancer survivor) has affected her self-image. The strong side of this is that she’s been a role model and an inspiration for other people with cancer. She’s been able to alter the public image of a breast cancer survivor by going topless and having her scars visible, while being fashionable and fearless in how she presents herself. However, this loud-and-proud way of being has made it so she can’t exist without being labeled a breast cancer survivor. Even when she wants to relax and be carefree, the label sticks with her as something she has to grapple with. It’s part of her, but not all of her, and too often she’s only seen as a cancer survivor and put in the same box with other breast cancer survivors instead of being seen as the multifaceted person she is.
Her conviction to stand up for what she believes in can come back to bite her sometimes. When she hears about something problematic, she’s quick to speak out, sometimes without having done all the necessary research. While she usually does take the time to learn more about the issue, there have been times where she’s spoken too quickly and has to apologize later. While it’s admirable to be so willing to stand up for other people, that zeal can sometimes overpower the willingness to take the time to learn more about what’s going on.
Ericka Hart is a unique and valuable person who is working overtime to help people learn. However, she is human like the rest of us and her strengths have their shadows.