"As a daughter of the Mississippi Delta and Black woman in the South, so many narratives about me have been told without me. My body, as trauma specialist Bessel van der Kolk would say, keeps the score. Nevertheless, as a journalist, entrepreneur, mental health counselor, evaluator, and now foundation program officer, I have had the opportunity to combine and crystallize the importance of storytelling, leadership, healing, and lived expertise."
"What I have learned during my career is to not be consumed with reclaiming or taking up space but rather to embrace and share power. Doing so allows me to make and create space, transforming community by practicing a healing justice made possible through the very essence of my being. I am not alone in my journey and have called upon some other Black women in the South to share their stories as narratives for all."
"What follows are short stories from seven Black women leaders in the South whom I interviewed, highlighting the assets that Black women bring to our work, the nation, and the world just by being our whole selves and by being experts of our lived experiences in the place that we call home. Taking Care While Carrying the Mantle of Education"
A Black woman from the Mississippi Delta describes how narratives about her have often been told without her and how trauma manifests in the body. Multiple professional roles enabled the blending of storytelling, leadership, healing, and lived expertise. The practice of embracing and sharing power creates and transforms community through healing justice grounded in identity. Seven Black women leaders in the South provide stories that highlight the assets Black women bring to local work, the nation, and the world by being whole selves and experts of their lived Southern experiences. The South is the fastest-growing region and home to 56 percent of the nation's Black children.
Read at Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.
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