Umm. My Name Ain't Mary Jane, But...

I think Mara Brock Akil just might have a hit on her hands!  

Her new show, "Being Mary Jane" is set to make its regular season premiere tonight and could very well be titled, "Being Faith Margaret" or "Being Cynthia" or "Being Trina" (names have been changed to protect the innocent).  The show builds upon the often repeated yet controversial statistic that asserts 42% of black women have never been married.  *blank stare…like, long blank stare*  The main character's story could very much be the story of any single, unmarried, childless, educated and successful professional black woman.  I mean, whichever way I turn I happen upon black women that fit snugly into this category despite their best…and worst…efforts.  Including ME!  That is what makes this show very relevant to the demographic it is appealing to.  Many of us see ourselves one way or another in Mary Jane. 

See, we are members of that unique club of women that are faced with navigating what can seem like a dismal landscape of single-dom when we desire marriage or lifetime commitment.  We are faced with fighting temptation to avoid doing what we know is not in our best interests as we find our way.  We dance around the inevitable question from any caring relative, "Baby, when are you going to get married?" at every family gathering.  We manage to be successful despite the often generational issues in our families and yet we struggle with guilt for being successful!  We quietly lament having to attend another wedding or baby shower where we are not the guest of honor (yeah, we are happy for our friends and all but, damn!).  We purchase and decorate our first home without a man to partner with and snuggle with our cats or dogs on cold evenings at home instead of spooning with that loving, committed and supportive man we fantasize about.  We battle to advance at work and find our voice at risk of being incorrectly characterized as aggressive.  

So!  We have been waiting for tonight and we will watch attentively.  We are going to root for Mary Jane to absorb the affirmations of every single Post It Note that cover the mirrors in her home.  "Nobody can hurt me without my permission."  We will wish we could forewarn her of the certain disappointment that we see coming in the show's plot while she battles to hold tight to her own worth.  Hell, even find her own worth!  We will cross our fingers, toes and anything else for good luck in hopes Mary Jane will get her "couple of forevers" to prove that dismal marriage statistic wrong.  Because our names aren't Mary Jane but we can certainly understand her struggle.

Keep watching…