From Me 2 U

"Turning thirty wasn’t the end of my life. It was simply the beginning of a new chapter. For the first time, I realized I am the author of my story, not my parents, not society, not my fears, just me. Before this, I lived for other people. I clung to friends that weren’t moving in my direction. I forgot who I was, or at least who I would’ve liked to be." by Arlene Ambrose
 
Hosted by Anayo Awuzie
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"I’m a badass dope queen living in an RV in Los Angeles, CA. I don’t stress about bills in a city with one of the highest costs of living in the country. I sacrifice space and luxury in my little home on wheels because this temporary humility is leading to forever happiness and stability."

By Fontaine Felisha Foxworth

Hosted by Anayo Awuzie
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“Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.”

—James Baldwin

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This week's story by by Olákìtán T. Aládéṣuyì  is a banger. It's sensual, intimate, and arousing. We're going on break until Septe,ber 2021, but happy to leave you with this one!

"We hold back tears when we want to cry uncontrollably. 

We pretend we’re fine when we want to run into the streets and scream our heads off. 

We get angry when we really want to be comforted.

We’re all trying to practice socially acceptable behavior but we’re dying inside. We’re killing our natural human instincts." by Arlene Ambrose

Hosted by Anayo Awuzie
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"Being a Black woman raising a Black girl takes a level of dedication that is both frightening, yet magical.  Those who identify as Black women and girls don’t always get space to simply just be.  As I consider the ways I raise my daughter and what she is exposed to, I’ve also had to be introspective about my own life experiences and how they have shaped me as an adult and mother." by Crystal Everett

Hosted by Anayo Awuzie
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bell hooks said, “grief is most often unrelenting when individuals are not reconciled to the reality of loss.”

Hosted by Anayo Awuzie
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“'Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.' - Albert Einstein

Still, as my weeks are jammed with missions, obligations, and adventures, I find myself asking, “What do I do to take care of myself”?  Besides the latest Netflix addiction and the occasional Java Chip latte, I've leaned towards a newfound love in a passed-down pastime: the Crossword. " by K. Alexandra Mills

Hosted by Anayo Awuzie
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Talk about centering ourselves in the narrative, this week's essay comes from Larissa Irukunda who fanfiction and anime fan, but growing up, she never herself in any of the characters featured in the shows and books she loved to watch and read. So, after a lot of work on herself to overcome insecurities over her skin tone, she picked up the pen and decided to center herself. Black anime fans, unite!

Hosted by Anayo Awuzie
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This one was written by me! This is, on the surface-level, about my past me's perceived lack of ability to attract men, but in the larger realm, my lack of ability to attract myself, and how I changed that.

Feeling self-worth as a Black woman can be difficult in this world, but it's so worth it to keep trying to achieve it.

Hosted by Anayo Awuzie
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