One of the most important lessons my elders taught me in my early twenties was this: You don’t need to do more work. You need to be witnessed. They were not discouraging excellence or effort. They were challenging a dangerous assumption that performance and labor alone guarantee elevation. They understood something many of us eventually […]

Over 40 years ago, early in my career, I found myself sitting at a formal dinner table in a professional setting that felt far beyond anything I had ever experienced. The table was set with more forks, spoons, and glasses than I knew how to navigate. The setting was so unfamiliar that I questioned whether […]

“Trust your wings, not the branch.” My spiritual mothers taught me that proverb when I was young. At the time, it felt wise. Now, it feels necessary. Because in 2026, many people are confronting a truth we’ve long avoided: the branches we relied on are not as steady as we once believed. When my spiritual […]

Something magical happens when two Black women discuss the power of purpose. Why? We understand that following purpose is not easy in a culture that undervalues who we are. In a culture that constantly bombards us with messages aimed at undermining our self-worth, self-value, and our sense of dignity, we know it takes courage and […]