I read an interesting commentary about this page. The person was surprised {pleasantly I hope} to know that there are women of color who enjoy the submissive lifestyle. The impression the person had of black women was one of strength and dominance. And yes....we are strong. As women in this society, black women especially, we have had to be strong in order to survive. Many of us take care of our families...work inside and outside of the home. We have multi-generation extended family units...we are married or single, divorced or widowed maintaining and raising the next generation of youth.

I smiled as I continued to read because I know from my own personal experience that before I ever got into d/s it never occured to me that black women were in the submissive lifestyle. All the magazines, books I had ever read about d/s {and I admit I had read only a few} nothing was ever mentioned about black women. The pictures were of caucasian couples...young and old who practiced the lifestyle. No minorities that I ever saw.

When I started out on aol more than 3 years ago I felt like I was the only black women in the chat rooms. Master and I celebrate three years together May 1998. Countless times in chatting with Doms online...the total surprise expressed that I was black and seeking to learn about submission sometimes had me wondering about myself. I went to parties and I was the only black person there. As few as there are black subs and Dominas, there are even fewer black Dominants. My Master and I take up two minorities in the lifestyle. I am black and he is Hispanic. The latino representation is even smaller.

Countless times I was asked why would I want to submit to a man. 'Your people were enslaved for over 300 years...how could you voluntarily wish to submit to someone??' They were curious as to how could a black woman handle the whole idea of enslavement. It took me a long time of soul searching and with the help of my Master I did learn why I chose to submit.

The answer was...in front of me all the time - I submitted by choice. I was not enslaved against my will. I was not made to work the fields from dawn to dusk. I was still free to choose. My Master never forced me into my slavery. He holds me to him by the bond between us both. I am yin to his yang . I am there to fulfill his need to be a dominant man. Because that is who he is. We choose to be with each other. And isn't that what d/s is all about? Having the choice to give someone your submission.

Do not get me wrong. It was a struggle for me as well as my Master. I didn't take to submission easily. I have been dominant all my life. I have had to be to get where I am in my personal as well as professional life. A submissive black woman in the working world doesn't get promoted nor does she reach the heights that she wishes to achieve by being submissive.

But there is that part of me, what Master calls my soft side that needed expression. I do not freely submit to every man I meet. Nor do I want to. I am slave to my Master. It has been said to me...you cannot be slave if you are slave to only one. And my reply is, my Master does not allow anyone else to have the priviledge of my slavery without his express permission. He knows I am slave....his will and his desires are my own. I had the choice to give him my submission. He has it in the palm of his hand. I need make no other choices. I am not free to submit to others unless it is his wish.

My slavery to my Master does not interfere with my profession. He takes no part in my job, he does not tell me how to supervise those in my charge any more than I could tell him how to do his job. But when we are together, I am His. Everything that I do is for Him. Conscious actions as well as the subtle unconscious little things I do.

Submissive women come in all colors , shapes and sizes. We are young and we are old. I am pleased to say that in these past 2 years I have met more and more black women who are coming out of the closet and declaring their need to be submissive to a strong man. I am lucky in that I have found someone who is consistently dominant. He is the strength I need.

There was a definite need for this webpage. There are many black women out there struggling with these feelings. Wondering if she betrays her culture by wanting to feel the strength of a man. Wanting to know she is owned...fully and totally. Wanting to feel the warm leather of a collar around her throat. My sisters....we must all find who we are within ourselves. We betray ourselves when we hide...not face who we are...all of who we are. I feel no shame in submitting to my Master. My collar is the outward symbol of his ownership. It is a beautiful black beaded choker with his initial dangling from it and I wear it proudly. I say to my sisters...be who you are whether it is submissive or dominant. Be who you are and be happy.