
The Architecture of Change: Lessons from the Japanese “Renewal Years”
The Japanese word for menopause is kĹnenki (ć´ĺš´ć), and the linguistic and cultural nuances behind it are quite beautiful and distinct from many Western perspectives.
The Meaning of KĹnenki
The term is composed of three kanji [...]

Before MTV: The Hidden Story of the First Black Music Video and the Legacy It Built
Thereâs something powerful about this moment in history.Not just the musicâbut the intention behind it.Movement. Precision. Style. Storytelling before the world even had language for it.
This wasnât just a performance.It was di [...]
Linda Creed: This Song is With You for the Moments You Stop Choosing Everyone Else Over Yourself (podcast/audio)
People make the world go round.... lyrics by Linda Creed
All these issues people are having with the humane practice of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). Using the word as some curse word to banish joy, sharing, togethern [...]
Lessons from Pam Grier’s Memoir for Survivors
updated from December 2024
I love it when women tell our own stories in our own words!
When Pam Grier's memoir came out...I had to read it!
When I was a little girl I was not allowed to watch Pam Gri [...]

8 Lessons for Survivors from the Film Mi Familia
I first saw this film back when walking down the aisles of Blockbuster on Friday nights was hot.
I picked up the case, saw a lot of my favorite actors, and rented it for the weekend. I never forgot this story. Amazing. Â
Some [...]
Survivor Affirmations Inspired by The Joy Luck Club (with audio book)
Thereâs something sacred about The Joy Luck Club.Not just the storyâbut the witnessing. The layering. The quiet truths that refuse to stay buried.
Letâs honor that energy with affirmations that carry the same depth, dignity, an [...]

Lessons from The Wedding: The Kind of Love That Looks Goodâand Still Costs You
Another televised Oprah production. She doesn't appear in this film, but if you are a fan of the wonderful series Greenleaf, you will definitely note her "presence."
This story, based on the work of author Dorothy West, isnât j [...]
Hajia Gambo Sawaba: She Did Not Wait to Be Allowed
(You should see how elated I am! This series is going to give me those laugh lines we are supposed to hate.)
There are women who were toldto stay small, stay quiet, stay inside the lines drawn for them.
And then there are wome [...]
Congolese Women, Sacred Knowledge, and Spiritual Leadership: A Gentle Introduction
There is a quiet truth that has always existed, even when it wasnât written down.
Across the lands now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, women have long held roles of spiritual insight, healing, and guidance. Not [...]
Sheila Johnson: When the Path Changes, I Do Not ShrinkâI Reimagine
I am not limited by what did not work.I am expanded by what I now know.I dream againâand this time, I dream with power.
There are women who succeed.
And then there are women who change the structure of success itselfâso other [...]
VĂľ Tháť SĂĄu: đżShe Was Young. And Still⌠She Stood.
âI was never too young to see clearlyâand I honor the strength that rose in me anyway.â
Vþ ThᝠSåu was a girl.
Not grown.Not protected.Not given time to slowly become.
A girl.
And stillâŚ
She stood.
She lived in [...]

Denise Ho: đżOnce You See It, You Canât Go Back
âThe greatest gift in this life is always more of meâand I am not going back to less.â
Denise Ho was a singer.
A successful one.
She had:
access
visibility
opportunity
a path that was already wor [...]

Selena Quintanilla: đż She Brought Joy to the World. And We Will Not Ignore What Took Her.
Selena Quintanilla carried something extremely rare.
Joy that felt real.Warmth that reached people across language, culture, and place.A presence that made people feel seen.
She was building something beautiful.
Not just a ca [...]
đş Frida Kahlo: She Lived in a Body That Hurtâand Still Created Beauty
 For a long time I celebrated Frida's art and had no idea she lived in pain. I was truly spellbound by the art. As a young person, I thought the art was representing a different type of pain.....
Frida Kahlo was born in Mexico. [...]

đżJosephine Baker: She Refused the Limits Placed on Her Body
JosÊphine Baker was born in the United States.She knew segregation.She knew what it meant to be looked at and not seen.
So she left.
And in Paris⌠she found something different.
Not perfect.But different enough to breathe.
[...]

đż Josephine Baker: She Found a Place Where She Could Breathe
JosĂŠphine Baker did not just âmove to France.â
She left a place that constrained herâŚand stepped into a place that, for a time, allowed her to expand.
That distinction matters.
In the United States, she faced what so ma [...]
đş Marielle Franco: She Spoke. Even When It Was Dangerous to Speak.
Marielle Franco was a Black woman from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
She knew violence.Not from headlines.From proximity.
From lived experience.
From watching what happens when communities are over-policed, under-protected, [...]
đż Halimah Yacob: She Was Not Handed Ease. She Built Something Anyway.
Halimah Yacob did not begin life surrounded by comfort.
She lost her father young.Her family struggled.There were real limitations. Not imagined ones.
And still⌠she kept going.
Not loudly.Not for applause.But steadily.
That [...]
AFFIRMATIONS AND SELF LOVE
Survivor Affirmations: Uplift YOU!
Uplifting You Unleash You by Tonya GJ Prince [...]
HEALING JOURNEY
Wellness Journaling Prompts: I Thrive
Wellness Journaling Prompts: I Thrive by Tonya GJ Prince [...]
đż 10 Affirmations for Healing (Even If It Doesnât Feel Like It)
Dear Courageous One:
These are designed to speak directly to the heart, especially in moments of doubt, quiet strength, or unseen growth:
âE [...]
Survivors Matter, You Are Not to Be Dismissed (audio)
Throwing it back to wisdom from Zora Neale Hurston, on refusing to be dismissed.
Here are 20 phrases people use to dismiss feelings. (2021)
[...]
Blooming Through the Hard Days: Affirmations for Gentle Healing
đ¸ Comforting Floral Affirmations
I am learning to be kind to myself, even when my heart feels heavy.
Healing is not linearâit is a garden, and I [...]
Inspired by Survivor Viola Davis: You Donât Need Perfect Weather to Bloom
Some flowers wait for sunshine.Others learn how to grow toward the light
even while clouds remain overhead.
Gratitude to a shining star....Viola Da [...]
CONFIDENCE/POWER/RESILIENCE

đż Swaying Is Sacred: A Nervous System Reset Rooted in Our Bodies and Our Histories
âEven in stillness, I can move.
Even in pain, I can sway. My body remembers peace.â
Somewhere along the way, many of us were taught to sit still. [...]

How the Dog Got Angry…and Maybe We Should Too.
Nature is my favorite instructor. We do not need to accept crumbs. We have every right to get angry in the face of unfairness and inju [...]
How to Make the Most of Your Regrets (audio)
How to Make the Most of Your Regrets (audio):
 [...]
HEALTHING JOURNEY
PBS Newshour: A Brief But Spectacular take on appreciating what we have
âJoy multiplies when I choose to love.â đŤ
âI find joy not just in myself, but in celebrating others.â
âLove is the soilâjoy is the [...]
How Focusing on Body Movement Benefits People Overcoming Trauma
Have you ever thought about where trauma and stress are locked in your body? How it impacts your body?For so long Western society has focused on body [...]
Sound, Spirit, and Survival: How Alice Coltrane Held Sacred Space
âđ˝ For SurvivorAffirmations.com
Some Survivors find their way through words.Some through silence.And someâlike Alice Coltraneâfind their way through [...]
Denise Ho: đżOnce You See It, You Canât Go Back
âThe greatest gift in this life is always more of meâand I am not going back to less.â
Denise Ho was a singer.
A successful one.
She had:
[...]
She Is AMAZING
The Architecture of Change: Lessons from the Japanese “Renewal Years”
The Japanese word for menopause is kĹnenki (ć´ĺš´ć), and the linguistic and cultural nuances behind it are quite beautiful and distinct from many Western [...]
9 Quotes from Maya Angelou to Nourish the Survivor’s Soul (Part 2)
Updated for 2025
đ Resilience & Strength
âYou may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced [...]
đ Dear Strong Black Girl
Who had to grow up before she was ready.
You were praised for how grown you acted.For how well you held things together.For how much you helped, how [...]
50 Things to Talk About Instead of Black Womenâs Hair (Because Your Concern is Not Genuine)
Letâs be honestâBlack womenâs hair has been politicized, policed, and prodded at for far too long. Weâve worn it straight, coiled, locked, twisted, [...]
She Traveled Deep Within: A Spiritual Portrait of Alice Coltrane
âđ˝ For SurvivorAffirmations.com
There are people whose healing path takes them outwardâ
into movements, microphones, and moments of bold declarati [...]
The Story of Kemba Smith Pradia
May we continue to be reminded and never forget that women in prison (most of whom have survived painful abuse and violence) are indeed human beings.& [...]
ART HEALS
9 Quotes from Maya Angelou to Nourish the Survivor’s Soul (Part 2)
Updated for 2025
đ Resilience & Strength
âYou may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced [...]
Growing Up in the 70’s | Black Perspective
Gratitude and appreciation to @Kimbar1313 on Tiktok for reminding us that we can be going through difficult times but creating your own joy. In fa [...]
Survivor Affirmations: A Few of Our Favorite Books
Our Favortie Books by Tonya GJ Prince [...]
đľ Everyday People: A Prayer for Boundaries and Belonging
âI am everyday peopleâŚâ
Simple words, sacred meaning.
Arrested Developmentâs âPeople Everydayâ is more than a remix of a classic â itâs a less [...]
JOURNALING/WRITING IN A HEALTHIER WORLD
WE Survive Abuse Podcast

We Survive Abuse Podcast
An independently published podcast. This feed is self-owned and self-hosted. No platform owns, controls, or governs this content.
Rest in Power is Not For Child Predators
byTonya GJ Prince
Not every legacy deserves soft language. In this episode, we confront the cultural instinct to offer blanket reverence after death.

April 8, 2026
Tonya GJ Prince
April 3, 2026
Tonya GJ Prince
March 30, 2026
Tonya GJ Prince
February 20, 2026
Tonya GJ Prince
February 16, 2026
Tonya GJ Prince
February 6, 2026
Tonya GJ Prince
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