Four Women by Nina Simone: A Compassionate Exploration for Children with Autism on Black Women's Modern Struggles
- Mar 14
- 3 min read
My niece is one of my favorite people in the world. My niece has Autism, and she brings us all joy. My sons love their cousin, all three are artistic, self-proclaimed nerds. The boys always try to get her out of her comfort zone. I feel as though it is my responsibility as her aunt to cover the important self-actualization things, because her mom, well, is mom, the provider. We are her community, and this is what community parenting looks like. I ignore the autism and hold her to the standard of any eighteen-year-old. This time, I threw at her the song Four Women by Nina Simone. I wanted to see what the song could evoke in her neurodivergent mind.
Introduction to Nina Simone’s “Four Women”
My skin is black, my arms are long.
My hair is woolly, my back is strong.
Strong enough to take the pain. It's been inflicted again and again.
What do they call me? My name is Aunt Sarah. My name is Aunt Sarah.
My skin is yellow. My hair is long.
Between two worlds, I do belong.
My father was rich and white; he forced my mother late one night.
What do they call me? My name is Saffronia.
My skin is tan. My hair's alright, it's fine.
My hips invite you, and my lips are like wine.
Whose little girl am I? Well, yours if you have some money to buy.
What do they call me? My name is SWEET THING. My name is Sweet Thing.
My skin is brown, and my manner is tough.
I'll kill the first mother I see, because my life has been too rough.
I'm awfully bitter these days because my parents were slaves.
What do they call me? My name is Peaches.
Understanding the Characters in "Four Women"
In the song, she creates a genealogy of black women from slavery to the present. Four characters, Aunt Sarah, Saffronia, Sweet Thing, and Peaches, represent different types of black women and the lasting legacy of slavery. Though each woman speaks for herself, she describes her physical traits and the way she is seen and treated in society, and what “they” call her. I saw the women as four ways of freedom.
The Heritage of “Aunt Sarah”: Represents strength despite suffering. Aunt Sarah explains historical pain from slavery and resilience passed down through generations. Physical pain, emotional pain, every generation manifests the pain in different ways, yet it remains. I used the example of Blacks being wet nurses to children that don't belong to them and yet are loved the same. Black women's strength has also given way to their detriment; notice the maternal morbidity rate within the United States.
The Story of “Saffronia”: A daughter of both Black and white ancestry, symbolizing mixed identity and its challenges. This portion brought up colorism. I informed her that the lighter the skin, perhaps the greater the amount of rape. And why be proud of that? Saffronia has to deal with "you are not Black enough" and " you are not White enough".
The Life of “Sweet Thing”: Represents a woman who is seen mainly for her beauty, grappling with objectification. I shared with her the hyper sexualization of black women and girls. Childhood can not be promised. I told her how her mom had to constantly fight this with her; it's part of my sister's protection.
“Peaches,” the Proud Rebel: Last but not least, Peaches. Peaches embodies anger and defiance against injustice. She is the angry black woman that no one wants to deal with or hear. Peaches can still see the racism today, the unequal pay and promotion, the microaggressions, etc.
And then I asked, "Which is your mom?" and "Which is your aunt?" She saw my sister as "Aunt Sarah" and me, "Peaches". I told you she was bright.
We then circled back to Black women's exploitation through the lens of Sarah Baartman. Sarah was lied to, she was guaranteed freedom under the guise of a Circus freak. Sarah was Saffronia.
Why It Matters: The Power and Pride in These Stories
Helping Black people, musicians, and students see the song as a mirror of real struggles and strength.
Recognizing and honoring the pride in the identity and experiences of Black women through art.
Using Nina Simone’s song as a teaching moment to spark conversations about race, gender, and history.
Encouraging respect, empathy, and understanding across generations and communities.
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