Candace McDuffie does words. She is a wordsmith. The Boston culture critic released her book, “50 Rappers Who Changed the World,” last month, but has long been a journalistic force. Whether she’s sharing good news or documenting local rap history, McDuffie ensures hip-hop’s history is preserved and respected. She shared her Beautiful Resistance with us.
My name is Candace McDuffie and my life is a beautiful resistance because I advocate for the dark-skinned, blue-black Black women whose presence is erased far too often despite carrying this country on our backs.
The ones who never see ourselves as love interests in music videos or protagonists in movies but effortlessly carry the weight of being heroes every single day. The ones who proudly fail paper bags tests and continue to believe in our beauty despite it never being affirmed by anyone else.
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Every time I pick up a pen, I prioritize these women in my work whose lives are inherently defiant because we had no choice. My life is a beautiful resistance because I aim to uplift dark-skinned Black women and girls who continue to shatter glass ceilings. The ones who know — even though being told otherwise — that the sky is truly the limit for them.
Follow her on Instagram @candace.mcduffie. See more of her work at candacemcduffie.com.
Watch the trailer for the next episodes of “A Beautiful Resistance”:
Jeneé Osterheldt can be reached at jenee.osterheldt@globe.com and on Twitter @sincerelyjenee and on Instagram @abeautifulresistance.