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)
There’s something sacred about The Joy Luck Club.Not just the story—but the witnessing. The layering. The quiet truths that refuse to stay buried.
Let’s honor that energy with affirmations that carry the same depth, dignity, an [...]

Lessons from The Wedding: The Kind of Love That Looks Good—and 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, isn’t 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 wasn’t 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 Shrink—I Reimagine
I am not limited by what did not work.I am expanded by what I now know.I dream again—and this time, I dream with power.
There are women who succeed.
And then there are women who change the structure of success itself—so other [...]
Võ Thị Sáu: 🌿She Was Young. And Still… She Stood.
“I was never too young to see clearly—and I honor the strength that rose in me anyway.”
Võ Thị Sáu was a girl.
Not grown.Not protected.Not given time to slowly become.
A girl.
And still…
She stood.
She lived in [...]

Denise Ho: 🌿Once You See It, You Can’t Go Back
“The greatest gift in this life is always more of me—and I am not going back to less.”
Denise Ho was a singer.
A successful one.
She had:
access
visibility
opportunity
a path that was already wor [...]

Selena Quintanilla: 🌿 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 [...]
🌺 Frida Kahlo: She Lived in a Body That Hurt—and 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. [...]

🌿Josephine Baker: She Refused the Limits Placed on Her Body
Joséphine 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.
[...]

🌿 Josephine Baker: She Found a Place Where She Could Breathe
Joséphine Baker did not just “move to France.”
She left a place that constrained her…and stepped into a place that, for a time, allowed her to expand.
That distinction matters.
In the United States, she faced what so ma [...]
🌺 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, [...]
🌿 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 [...]
12 Reasons Lauryn Hill Deserves More Respect for Her Impact on Music (w/affirmations)
The only reason that men question Lauryn Hill's
accomplishments
is because they can't find a way
to take credit for them.
Lauryn Hill was never just an artist.
She was a creative center of gravity.
She wrote.
She produ [...]

Affirming Television Moments: When the Women Tore Down the Wall
First, giving gratitude to Oprah because this type of programming was very uncommon back in 1989. When you wanted to see television films like this, you waited for Oprah to make them.Â
It was sad, but she kept us fed.Â
There a [...]

Living in Truth in a Loud World: The Courage to Stand Tall
There was a time when a singer could stand on a stage, look out at the world, and sing a line that would echo for generations:
“I did it my way.”
The song My Way, made famous by Frank Sinatra, has become a cultural symbol of l [...]

Inspired by Survivor Viola Davis: You Don’t 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 Davis
A woman who never waited for perfect weather to bloom.
You grew thro [...]

She Quit Dancing for Britney Spears and Janet Jackson to Design Luxury Shoes Janet Wears
This entrepreneur quit dancing for Britney Spears and Janet Jackson to follow her passion for designing luxury shoes - Face2Face Africa
Giving yourself a chance is the first act of believing in the life you are [...]
AFFIRMATIONS AND SELF LOVE
18 Things You Didn’t Know were Invented By Black Women
Just because some people try to keep you unsung doesn’t mean your melody is lost. “Innovation is my inheritance, and I multiply it [...]
HEALING JOURNEY
The Five Forgotten Benefits of Conflict (audio)
 If we use it right, conflict is a great tool for building stronger and healthier communities.  Tonya GJ Prince offers five ways we tend to for [...]
My Pain Is Not a Public Spectacle
SurvivorAffirmations.com | Inspired by WeSurviveAbuse.com
You are not a headline.You are not a punchline.You are not here for anyone’s entertainmen [...]
The Fire Comes Back: What Happens When You Finally Feel Safe
For a long time, it was survival.
You moved through your days like a soldier—alert, braced, eyes scanning, body tight, heart tired.
You were here. [...]
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.& [...]
12 Free eBooks to Support Your Somatic Healing Journey
Dear Survivor,
They are playing in your face by making you explain. And explain. And explain. Forget them.
All these folks running around protecti [...]
CONFIDENCE/POWER/RESILIENCE
Beyond Survival: Claiming Your Healed Identity After Abuse (podcast/audio)
This episode of We Survive Abuse isn't just about surviving; it's about *thriving*.
After navigating the challenging path to recover [...]

Mama I Love You: Women Are Amazing, Unique, and Special!
Tyron Woodley’s mother congratulates Kamaru Usman at UFC 235
Â
"It's all good, baby. It's all good. It's your turn. It [...]
When They Twist the Truth, Stay Rooted: Survivor Affirmations for Discernment and Power
These days, some of us feel dizzy from all the ways people try to twist the truth.
They sell us distortion as progress.They call confusion “compassio [...]
HEALTHING JOURNEY
I Will Not Shrink to Fit Your Comfort: 12 Empowering Womanist Affirmations About Consent, Boundaries, and Self-Respect
The phrase “I will not shrink myself to fit your comfort” is a declaration of bodily, emotional, and spiritual autonomy. In the context of consent and [...]
Support Women’s Safety: Mom Builds Apartment In Her GarageTo Help Her Leave An Abusive Relationship
When the going gets toxic & dangerous, you gotta think outside of the box. Applause to this Mom! @naydaniellexo Moms are a blessing, lo [...]
✨ Protecting Your Aura: Setting Boundaries with Toxic People
Some people drain the life out of every room. They thrive on chaos, belittling, and control. And when you are a Survivor, you already know the cost [...]
Soul Train: Where art became cross-cultural language
Soul Train. Soullll Train. The hippest trip in America.
 I was in front of my television nearly every Saturday morning and pouted when I couldn't be. [...]
Survivor Affirmations: I Am Honoring Myself Now
You are not here to shrink.You are not here to twist, bend, or break yourselfjust to be accepted by people or places that can't hold your truth.Every [...]
She Is AMAZING
Survivor Affirmations: I Carry Forward the Creativity and Brilliance of Women Who Came Before Me.
Sarah Boone (1832–1904) was one of the first Black women in the United States to receive a patent, but not the very first.
In 1892, Boone w [...]
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 sma [...]
Inspired by Survivor Viola Davis: You Don’t 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 [...]
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.& [...]
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 [...]
9 Quotes from Maya Angelou to Nourish the Survivor’s Soul (Part 2)
Updated for 2025
🌟 Resilience & Strength
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced [...]
ART HEALS
Playing by Heart: Alberta Hunter and the Power of Soul Wisdom
Alberta Hunter’s life was a testament to the power of the "unpolished" authentic soul. She was a woman who conquered the world's stages, walked away t [...]
Survivor Affirmations Inspired by The Joy Luck Club (with audio book)
There’s something sacred about The Joy Luck Club.Not just the story—but the witnessing. The layering. The quiet truths that refuse to stay buried.
Le [...]
🌤️ Clarity After Chaos, Grief, and Rain
There comes a moment — after the thunder, after the tears — when the air feels different.
It’s quieter.
Cleaner.
You can finally see what was [...]
Black American Holiday Movie Binge
Thanks to these two wonderful creators for sharing this list with us. And thanks to all the creators....the actors, writers, caterers, assistants, p [...]














