It's February and you know what that means???!!! BLACK HISTORY MONTH!
I celebrate Black greatness every day of the year, but we all know February is the time where the rest of the world acknowledges Black greatness in a way they usually don't the rest of the year. So I thought this would be the perfect time to spread some love to my brown girls in a very public way.
In our society it is rough to be both Black and a woman. We are underestimated in many ways because of these attributes. Even worse, we judge each other and are sometimes meaner to one another than the world is. Because of these things, there were times in my life I thought I was too dark, wasn't strong, was fat (rather than thick), and didn’t have pretty hair. I felt all my efforts to get to the place I wanted to be was in vain because whether I liked it or not, the world isn't set up with me in mind. Then I went to an HBCU for university and the change within me began.
At Oakwood University, I really grew and blossomed. I didn't know it at the time, but I needed to be in a concentrated environment of blacks. I will say though, while a majority of the campus identified as black, we were not only from all over the country, but from all over the world. In class, the other students sitting in your row during lecture could all be from California, Bahamas, Kenya, France, Canada, Mexico, and England. And that is just the beginning. I needed to be in an environment where black excellence was the norm. I began college afraid, and left empowered. In fact, I decided to decorate my graduation cap with what I felt represented the biggest lesson I learned in undergrad, and how I felt having grown so much through the years. 'Soy fuerte. Soy audaz'. 'I am strong. I am Fearless.'
But anyway, enough about me. I came to speak life to you.
Just be yourself, it's the easiest thing to be. Black girls we just on another level. - Rihanna
About a year ago, a few friends of mine made a video and its life on the internet was short lived, but now it's back! No matter what your journey is, no matter where you are in life, and no matter where you are going, I pray that you are encouraged by this video. None of this was scripted, we all spoke from our heart. Share this post / video with someone who you think needs it. Share it with the special women in your life. If you are not black, that's okay -- you can share it too! You can share it with your black friends or family to let them know that you see them too! If you are a man, especially a black man, please please share with your fellow sistas. It's time we put more effort into uplifting each other. Let's do better. Let's be better!
Hablamos Pronto,
Jesseñia Melise
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