Never Let What THEY Think of You Silence You

      Being a Black woman often means that our words and our emotions are weaponized and used against us. We’re compared to pit bulls when we speak up using a tone that demands respect, while our white counterparts are seen as passionate and brave for doing the exact same thing.   Because of that, you’ll find yourself sitting in silence and hiding what you’re really feeling because you’re “strong” and that’s what the superwoman cape requires, right?    Or maybe you were raised in an environment where “rising above it or being the bigger person” was always the lesson of the day or perhaps in your home even the slightest bit of anger or uncouthness was met with punishment. Or maybe you got detention in school for having an attitude or being a smart aleck—-I got that A LOT. So, I get it. I get all of that. But being strong doesn’t mean biting your tongue, suppressing your emotions, OR succumbing to the myth of the angry black woman. YOU GET TO BE STRONG AND SPEAK UP WHEN YOUR BOUNDARIES ARE NOT BEING HONORED.