Purity Culture Does Not Serve The Black Church

We must deconstruct these harmful teachings for the next generation.

If you personally know me or at least follow me on Instagram, you know that I am a big fan of affirmations and positive self-talk. My favorite affirmation is “I release all fear-related thoughts and feelings and replace them with confidence and courage.”

Sooner than later, I took a deeper dive into where my toxic internal dialogue stemmed from to ensure I’ll never go back to the trenches.

I noticed that the blockages that I had were fears regarding my sexuality, sensuality, and expression as a Black Christian woman in the Bible Belt. I took a look at my own patterns of me not honoring my own body (which is made in the image of God, okurr) and held it up against church culture that I have embraced since I was a toddler.

I was overwhelmed with grief when I reflected on how black women go from being oversexualized to being sexually abused while having to abide by patriarchal rules. Theologists coined this as “purity culture”.

Purity culture is witnessing a viral clip of a popular pastor call out women for embracing their bodies every Sunday and watching believers slut-shame and gaslight along with him in the name of “obedience”.

It is the denial of comprehensive sexual education, making it challenging for believers to understand consent and emotions relating to sex and relationships.

It is the hypersexualization of black women’s bodies and it is the victim-blaming of survivors who are considered “stumbling blocks”.

It is the repression of one’s own needs and desires and the mental gymnastics believers take to feel superior to another.

In purity culture, there is no space for black women to make their own empowered decisions. It simply does not allow space for black women to celebrate and enjoy their divine bodies.

It will take a renewed mind to look at the bigger picture and see how white supremacy and patriarchy have violated the spirits of black women in the church for generations. Trust me, I’ve been there and I am still unlearning toxic and shameful teachings. If we hope to nourish the spirits of the next generation, we must build a safe community and let go of the spiritual bypassing that no longer serves us.