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Today I honor the Black women who came before me and paved the way for me to flourish and fight the way I do.
To Ida Thank you for not being afraid to use your voice and speak up against lynching, for helping create the NAACP and fighting for women's rights.
To Maya Thank you for your words. Your beautiful and heavy words that have been there for me when I couldn't think of words to say while dealing with being a Black woman in America.
To Rosa and all of the women who refused to give up their seats Thank you for taking up space and remind folks that we deserve to be here.
To Fannie Lou Thank you for being the unapologetic leader you were. Your activism and organizational efforts did not go unnoticed.
To Harriet Thank you for not accepting the lot you were given in life and being brave enough to repeatedly face death and violence to give a better life to others.
To Sojourner Thank you for your activism and your words. Even when they were twisted and you were made to sound less educated and more palatable to other folks (IE: her 'Ain't I A Woman' speech, read her version then read the version that was published)
To Meghan Thank you for speaking up and speaking out about going where the love is and prioritizing your mental health and the safety of your family. Black women deserve to be protected and her interview with Oprah last night helped remind folks of that.
There are so many other women I could list out, this is just a small number of them that I'm grateful for. But here's to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.
