Tyler Perry’s film “For Colored Girls,” is based on Ntozake Shange’s play, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf.” Perry’s movie demonstrates the struggles of colored women, represented through a collection of poems.

I highly recommend watching this movie for yourself, this movie brought out so many emotions within me and shed light on issues people do not consider in women of color. The main theme of the movie is to examine the struggles of colored women, each woman in the movie represents a different struggle. You have a younger woman that is coming to age, one representing the reversal of roles – a woman with money, power, and status, an all-knowing mother, one who finds pleasure in sex, one who is a hypocrite, one who is in an abusive relationship, one who gets raped, and one who shows the utmost compassion and light through the struggles.

The film touches on major issues that are present within the colored woman community, that many other races do not realize. After learning about intersectionality and hearing the stories of women of color from the Women’s Movement, I was able to understand the film even better. I found that women of color have a certain expectation they are held to, they are not granted the same privileges White women are granted, they have endured much more suffering, therefore, they are expected to be strong, having no reason to hurt because of their years of struggle. Looking at the film you see just how much struggle women of color go through. The woman with the high status is cheated on by her husband because he feels unmasculine compared to her, the younger woman has an illegal abortion because of her religious mother and her fear of falling into a stereotype of teen moms, a woman who is trapped in an abusive relationship who is afraid to get help, and a woman who is raped then told she was asking for it. These are real issues women face and it is important to understand that these are real and important to understand different races and their situations. Intersectional thinking allows for these issues to be brought to light and these women to be able to find help.

“Colored girls have no right to be sorry”

A constant theme of strength was portrayed as well,  no matter the struggles they faced the women always were expected to hide their emotions and show that they were strong. I find that very unhealthy, seeking help is okay and does not make you weak. Finding unity in numbers brings strength. At the end of the film, you can see how the formed sisterhood brought strength amongst all their struggles.

At the end of the day, feminism is about fighting for justice for oppressed people, instead of focusing on who’s struggles are more important we must focus on helping all people and all struggles.

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