{"id":1613,"date":"2026-07-08T11:15:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T06:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=1613"},"modified":"2026-07-08T11:15:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T06:15:08","slug":"why-are-black-women-always-expected-to-be-brave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=1613","title":{"rendered":"Why Are Black Women Always Expected To Be Brave?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"listicle-slide\" data-page-number=\"0\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"440\" width=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?w=660&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"A Tribute To America On The National Mall In D.C. Celebrates America's 250th\" class=\"wp-image-1679932\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?strip=all&amp;quality=80 1024w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=153%2C102&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 153w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=378%2C252&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 378w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 768w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=660%2C440&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 660w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=180%2C120&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 180w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=150%2C100&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 150w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 300w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=75%2C50&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 75w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=720%2C480&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 720w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=900%2C600&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 900w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=450%2C300&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 450w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 600w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=250%2C167&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 250w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=220%2C147&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 220w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=245%2C163&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 245w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=129%2C86&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 129w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=144%2C96&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 144w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833735363618.jpg?resize=50%2C33&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: Finn Gomez \/ Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a viral photo of a lone <a href=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/tag\/black-woman\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"590363952\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Black woman<\/a> surrounded by\u00a0members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front, while riding on a Metro train in Washington, D.C., captures the full regressive and divisive scope of America\u2019s current zeitgeist. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The photo was taken by\u00a0<em>Reuters<\/em>\u00a0photographer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/orr_photo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cheney Orr<\/a> on July 4, the 250th anniversary of America\u2019s independence, with several social media users highlighting the juxtaposition between the patriotic holiday and the ironic image, calling it the \u201cdefining\u201d picture of the USA today. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Veteran actor <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WendellPierce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wendell Pierce<\/a> re-shared\u00a0the chilling photo on X, writing: \u201cAn instant Pulitzer Prize winning photograph.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"\/>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RELATED CONTENT: <a href=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/1430001\/donald-trump-martin-luther-king-jr-inauguration-day\/\">I Have A Nightmare\u2014Martin Luther King Jr.\u00a0Is Rolling Over In His Grave On Trump\u2019s 2nd Inauguration Day [Op-Ed]<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"listicle-slide\" data-page-number=\"1\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"440\" width=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?w=660&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"A Tribute To America On The National Mall In D.C. Celebrates America's 250th\" class=\"wp-image-1679931\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?strip=all&amp;quality=80 1024w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=153%2C102&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 153w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=378%2C252&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 378w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 768w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=660%2C440&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 660w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=180%2C120&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 180w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=150%2C100&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 150w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 300w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=75%2C50&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 75w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=720%2C480&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 720w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=900%2C600&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 900w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=450%2C300&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 450w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 600w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=250%2C167&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 250w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=220%2C147&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 220w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=245%2C163&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 245w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=129%2C86&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 129w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=144%2C96&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 144w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833727046789.jpg?resize=50%2C33&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front gather at Eastern Market metro station on July 4, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Finn Gomez\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI feel like the photo of this Black woman surrounded by dozens of masked, anonymous, white nationalists is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time,\u201d commented Melanie D\u2019Arrigo<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DarrigoMelanie\/status\/2073528161468313973\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> on X.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The woman featured in the trending photo has since been identified as <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/p\/Bernita-Bowlding-61591230586878\/\">Bernita Bowlding<\/a>, but she has not publicly commented on her experience. As for the myriad of masked men seen traveling by train and exiting Metro stations in Washington, they joined hundreds of other members of the white nationalist group to march near Capitol Hill, chanting \u201creclaim America\u201d and \u201clife, liberty, victory\u201d with American and Confederate flags in tow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Patriot Front was founded in 2017, following the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which KKK members, Neo-Nazis, and alt-right activists marched with tiki torches while spewing racist and antisemitic rhetoric to protest the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue. According to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/extremism.gwu.edu\/patriot-front\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">George Washington University Program on Extremism<\/a>, the organization endorses an \u201cultra-nationalist ideology\u201d that is focused on creating a \u201cwhite ethnostate in the United States,\u201d with the ultimate objective of transforming American society to \u201calign with their vision of racial and cultural homogeneity.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In other words, if you\u2019re melanated, especially if you\u2019re Black, these are some racist-a\u2013 mofos you do <em>not <\/em>want to find yourself alone with under any circumstances. This is not about acting \u201cscary\u201d it\u2019s about safety. If the recent \u201cmysterious\u201d \u201cdrowning\u201d deaths of <a href=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/1576550\/stephora-joseph-dead-drowning-haiti-dominican-republic\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"1576550\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stephora Joseph<\/a>, 11, and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/newsone.com\/6865371\/nolan-xavier-wells-questions-we-still-need-answered-about-his-death\/\">Nolan Wells<\/a>, 18, or the \u201csuicides\u201d of 16-year-old Juliana\u00a0Nzita and <a href=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/1668241\/ashlee-jenae-death-social-media-reactions\/\">Ashlee Jenae<\/a> have not taught us anything, let Bowlding\u2019s photo remind us to stay woke. Scratch that, stay wide awake!<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"424\" width=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?w=660&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"The 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville\" class=\"wp-image-1680108\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?strip=all&amp;quality=80 1024w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=153%2C98&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 153w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=378%2C243&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 378w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=768%2C494&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 768w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=660%2C424&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 660w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=180%2C116&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 180w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=156%2C100&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 156w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=311%2C200&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 311w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=78%2C50&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 78w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=720%2C463&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 720w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=900%2C578&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 900w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=450%2C289&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 450w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=600%2C386&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 600w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=250%2C161&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 250w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=229%2C147&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 229w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=245%2C157&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 245w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=134%2C86&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 134w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=144%2C93&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 144w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17834506131244.jpg?resize=50%2C32&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Neo Nazis, Alt-Right, and White Supremacists take part in the night before the \u2018Unite the Right\u2019 rally in Charlottesville, VA, white supremacists march with tiki torches through the University of Virginia campus. (Photo by Zach D Roberts\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"listicle-slide\" data-page-number=\"2\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"440\" width=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?w=660&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"A Tribute To America On The National Mall In D.C. Celebrates America's 250th\" class=\"wp-image-1679943\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?strip=all&amp;quality=80 1024w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=153%2C102&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 153w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=378%2C252&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 378w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 768w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=660%2C440&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 660w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=180%2C120&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 180w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=150%2C100&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 150w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 300w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=75%2C50&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 75w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=720%2C480&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 720w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=900%2C599&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 900w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=450%2C300&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 450w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 600w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=250%2C167&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 250w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=221%2C147&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 221w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=245%2C163&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 245w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=129%2C86&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 129w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=144%2C96&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 144w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833800601922.jpg?resize=50%2C33&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A passenger looks on as members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front ride the Washington Metro on July 4, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Finn Gomez\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are similar photos of more people of other races and sexes alone amongst Patriot Front members that are circulating online, including one of a young Black man standing in front of the train doors looking on at the sea of coward\u2014err, covert Caucasian men. It is impossible to know exactly what he\u2019s feeling in that moment, in that confined space, swarmed by a group of men too spineless to even expose their eyes. But, based on his dumbfounded facial expression, my guess would be him thinking something along the lines of, \u201cOh, hell nah! Let me get my Black a\u2013 off this train, expeditiously!\u201d  <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"440\" width=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?w=660&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"A Tribute To America On The National Mall In D.C. Celebrates America's 250th\" class=\"wp-image-1679953\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?strip=all&amp;quality=80 1024w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=153%2C102&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 153w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=378%2C252&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 378w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 768w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=660%2C440&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 660w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=180%2C120&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 180w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=150%2C100&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 150w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 300w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=75%2C50&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 75w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=720%2C480&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 720w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=900%2C600&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 900w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=450%2C300&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 450w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 600w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=250%2C167&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 250w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=220%2C147&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 220w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=245%2C163&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 245w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=129%2C86&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 129w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=144%2C96&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 144w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833824156864.jpg?resize=50%2C33&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front wait to board a train at Eastern Market metro station on July 4, 2026, in Washington, DC.(Photo by Finn Gomez\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another image shows a middle-aged white woman sitting on a bench beside a masked man wearing dark sunglasses while she waits on the train platform at the Eastern Market metro station. I wouldn\u2019t say she looks comfortable by any means, but clearly, she feels secure enough to cop a squat beside a Patriot Front member. Albeit, there\u2019s just enough space between her and him for one of his buddies to rest a keg, Confederate flag, or any other staples needed for a long day of racist \u201cprotest.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"listicle-slide\" data-page-number=\"3\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"440\" width=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?w=660&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"A Tribute To America On The National Mall In D.C. Celebrates America's 250th\" class=\"wp-image-1679944\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?strip=all&amp;quality=80 1024w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=153%2C102&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 153w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=378%2C252&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 378w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 768w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=660%2C440&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 660w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=180%2C120&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 180w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=150%2C100&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 150w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 300w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=75%2C50&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 75w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=720%2C480&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 720w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=900%2C600&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 900w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=450%2C300&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 450w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 600w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=250%2C167&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 250w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=220%2C147&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 220w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=245%2C163&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 245w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=129%2C86&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 129w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=144%2C96&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 144w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833802166795.jpg?resize=50%2C33&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Roswell Encina looks on as members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front ride the Washington Metro on July 4, 2026, in Washington, DC. Numerous events, activities, and fireworks are planned in celebration of America\u2019s 250th Anniversary. (Photo by Finn Gomez\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An image of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/roswellencina\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Roswell Encina<\/a>, a gay Filipino American civic leader, has also garnered media attention. The president and CEO of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society was traveling by train to an Independence Day party in Maryland. He opened up to <em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/man-surrounded-by-patriot-front-in-viral-photo-has-message-for-america-12162051\">Newsweek<\/a><\/em> about his 30-minute train ride, encircled by \u201ca big group of men in masks and hats and sunglasses.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI froze. I was really not expecting that,\u201d said Encina, adding, \u201cIt was a little unsettling and very uncomfortable.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt first, I\u2019m like, \u2018Do I try to get off?&#8217;\u201d he said, posing a question I\u2019ve wondered if Bowlding contemplated. \u201cAnd I wasn\u2019t sure who they were either. But it was very unnerving as I started reading what was on their patches,\u201d Encina told <em>Newsweek<\/em>. which prompted him to secretly search online for the group while still riding the train with them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also admitted that he tried his best not to make eye contact with anyone and shared that he found some solace in the presence of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/fingophoto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Finn Gomez<\/a>, the Getty Images photographer who caught the snaps, saying, \u201cHe added some comfort, knowing that somebody else was there to at least document if anything happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s the Fourth of July, which gives it a bigger, kind of powerful meaning of going through this experience,\u201d concluded the activist. \u201cA moment like this allows you to reflect on the history of the country, especially on the 250th anniversary.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"listicle-slide\" data-page-number=\"4\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a Black woman, the photo of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/p\/Bernita-Bowlding-61591230586878\/\">Bernita Bowlding<\/a> is, without question, the most meaningful. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since going viral, she is being lauded for her \u201cbravery\u201d with <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/margibby\">Marlene Gibson<\/a>, a self-described \u201cProud Black Democrat. Senoir [stet] citizen\u201d commenting, \u201cShe has a Harriet Tubman spirit! She should receive acknowledgement for her stoic position. \u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But was Bowlding <em>really <\/em>exercising effrontery? Unless and until she comments publicly, how are we to <em>really <\/em>know? Perhaps what we\u2019re seeing is self-preservation, panic, PTSD being triggered in real time, or any number of other reactions that were not obvious or out loud. There are so many emotions and potential scenarios that could have crossed her mind as she waded silently in a sea of disguised white men. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe, like Encina, she did not know who they were or the ideology they represented. Or maybe her \u201cGet Out\u201d radar automatically went into overdrive, and she immediately sensed danger. Regardless, as a woman, especially a Black woman alone amongst a group of racist ultra-conservative white men, the circumstances could have easily turned hostile or life-threatening. Still, as Black women, we are expected to remain composed while navigating misogyny, racism, and public scrutiny, all without the promise of protection from anyone except ourselves. We are constantly praised for being \u201cstrong\u201d and \u201cstoic.\u201d But the truth is, sometimes we are just trying to survive by being hypervigilant and discerning, calculating risk, and then regulating our emotions and actions.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"450\" width=\"454\" src=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?w=454&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Ruby Nell Bridges\" class=\"wp-image-1679925\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?strip=all&amp;quality=80 1024w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=153%2C153&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 153w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=378%2C374&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 378w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=768%2C761&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 768w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=454%2C450&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 454w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=180%2C178&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 180w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=100%2C100&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 100w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=80%2C80&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 80w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=120%2C120&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 120w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=101%2C100&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 101w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=202%2C200&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 202w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=50%2C50&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 50w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=485%2C480&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 485w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=606%2C600&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 606w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=909%2C900&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 909w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=450%2C446&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 450w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=600%2C594&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 600w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=900%2C891&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 900w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=250%2C248&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 250w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=148%2C147&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 148w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=245%2C243&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 245w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=87%2C86&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 87w, https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833709751488.jpg?resize=144%2C143&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80 144w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 454px) 100vw, 454px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ruby Nell Bridges, at age 6, was the first African American child to attend William Franz Elementary School in New Orleans after Federal courts ordered the desegregation of public schools. Source: Bettmann \/ Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Self-protection is something Black women learn long before adulthood. Think of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rubybridgesofficial\/?hl=en\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rubybridgesofficial\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ruby Bridges<\/a>, who, at age 6, was the first African American child to attend William Franz Elementary School in New Orleans after Federal courts ordered the desegregation of public schools. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\"\/>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Famous photos taken on November 14, 1960, her first day of class, show a sharply dressed, beautiful little Black girl being escorted to and from school by U.S. Marshals. As the only Black person in the school, the first grader had to walk past police officers and anti-desegregation protesters, some holding signs that read, \u201cAll I Want For Christmas is a Clean White School\u201d and \u201cWe want segregation.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both Bowlding\u2019s and Bridges\u2019 pictures perfectly portray slices of American history and highlight how photographs have revolutionized our ability to document moments in time. But it\u2019s important not to get entirely caught up in the optics or speculate on a stranger\u2019s inner dialogue because no matter how many words a picture is worth, it never tells the whole story. Never. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RELATED CONTENT: <a href=\"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/1576550\/stephora-joseph-dead-drowning-haiti-dominican-republic\/\">\u2018Dirty Black Girl\u2019\u2014 Drowning Death Of Stephora Joseph, 11, Proves Anti-Haitian Rhetoric &amp; Racism Is Still Rampant In The Dominican Republic [Op-Ed]<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Source: Finn Gomez \/ Getty If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a viral photo of a lone Black woman surrounded by\u00a0members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front, while riding on a Metro train in Washington, D.C., captures the full regressive and divisive scope of America\u2019s current zeitgeist. The photo was taken&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1614,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/madamenoire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/17833726580298-e1783468490792.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=1024&crop=0,0,100,454px","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1613"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1613\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}