
The Afro-Peruvian Woman Who Started Telling the Story She Couldn’t Find
Natalia Barrera Francis did not have to invent an Afro-Peruvian history. It was already there. Generations of Afro-Peruvian people had lived, worked, created, struggled, raised families, made music, built communities and helped [...]

Survivor Affirmation: I Was Not Raised with Silver Spoons, But with Iron Will
🌟 Affirmation 🌟
I was not raised with silver spoons, but with iron will.The hood taught me rhythm, resilience, and how to breathe through storms.I honor the struggle, but I am not chained to it.I move forward with the fire of m [...]

Gary, Indiana Needs Us Right Now: Here Is How You Can Help
Gary, Indiana is hurting.
On August 11, 2026, powerful storms tore through Northwest Indiana with winds reported as high as 99 miles per hour. Trees came down. Utility poles snapped. Homes were damaged. Electricity disapp [...]

Before MTV: The Hidden Story of the First Black Music Video and the Legacy It Built
There’s something powerful about this moment in history.Not just the music—but the intention behind it.Movement. Precision. Style. Storytelling before the world even had language for it.
This wasn’t just a performance.It was di [...]

🎵 Tennessee: A Prayer for the Weary Soul
I miss the days when there was prayer in hip hop. Vulnerability in hip hop. And baring of the weary sick and tired soul in hip-hop.
“Lord, I’ve really been real stressed, down and out, losin’ ground…”
Those fir [...]

Michael Wright Gave Black Audiences Something Hollywood Still Struggles to Give Us
I am genuinely saddened by the passing of actor Michael Wright.
His family has confirmed that Wright died on August 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. He was 70 years old. His remarkable career stretched across nearly five decades, wi [...]

For the Hate Crimes Prevention Act: Affirmations for Black People Carrying Too Much Hate from Too Many Directions
racism chases us down for miles.....
On this day, the anniversary of The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 28, 2009. It expanded fede [...]

Finding Your Anchor: How to Prioritize What Matters in Times of Chaos
Man speaks out after climbing 19-story building during fire looking for his mother
In times of uncertainty, it is easy to feel pulled in a dozen directions by the noise of the world. This post is a gentle reminder t [...]

Sometimes Healing Has Four Paws: How Pets Can Help Us Through Grief.
Grief does not always announce what it needs.
Sometimes we think we need answers. Sometimes we think we need to be left alone. Sometimes we bury ourselves in work, exercise, responsibilities, television, or anything else [...]
After Jason Arday: Black People Must Be Allowed to Be Human
‘The question is not whether racism exists, but how it manifests.’ Ta-Nehisi Coates
Can you make it past this phrase? I'm having a hard time doing so.
“Cambridge’s diversity poster boy.”
They called that Black man a boy. [...]

Before We Called It Therapy, Black Folks Had the Stage
There is an old kind of healing that many Black Americans know, even if nobody ever gave it a clinical name.
Some of us met it in a church basement.
Some met it underneath hot stage lights in the school auditorium.
Some [...]
Do Not Mistake a Blackout for a Lack of Black American Talent
Is "Woke" Just the Newest Word for an Old Fear? A History. - WE Survive Abuse
One unfortunate reality of anti-Black American racism specifically is periods of blackouts. Take heart with these affirmations. Keep creating your [...]

BLACK GIRL, YOUR CREATIVITY HAS TRAVELED THE WORLD 🌍🤎
Look around.
Hair.
Fashion.
Dance.
Music.
Language.
Beauty.
Humor.
Style.
So much of what Black communities have created has traveled farther than the people who first imagined it could h [...]

SHE DIDN’T HAVE TO REPRESENT EVERY BLACK GIRL 🤎
This may be one of the greatest gifts of having many Black girls in our stories.
Laura could be Laura.
Ashley could be Ashley.
Moesha could be Moesha.
Tootie could be Tootie.
Rudy could be Rudy.
One girl didn't [...]

WE GREW UP WITH THEM 🤎
There's something tender about realizing that some of the Black girls we watched on television aren't girls anymore.
Neither are we.
Kim Fields.
Janet Jackson.
Regina King.
Keshia Knight Pulliam.
Tatyana Ali.
[...]

BLACK GIRLHOOD CAME IN MORE THAN ONE SHADE 🤎
Look back at the Black girls many of us watched growing up.
Kim Fields.
Regina King.
Keshia Knight Pulliam.
Tempestt Bledsoe.
Kellie Shanygne Williams.
Tatyana Ali.
Brandy.
Countess Vaughn.
Reagan Gome [...]

REMEMBER THE BLACK GIRL BEST FRIENDS? 💕
Not every Black girl on television was the star.
Some were the friend who walked through the front door without knocking.
The classmate at the locker.
The cousin.
The neighbor.
The girl sitting beside somebody at [...]

BLACK TEENAGE GIRLS HAVE AMAZING STORIES 📺
Before Moesha was writing in her journal, other Black teenage girls had been growing up on our television screens, because Black girls have amazing stories.
Tootie had crushes.
Brenda was finding her way.
Vanessa was te [...]

THEY LET BLACK GIRLS BE LITTLE GIRLS 🎀
There was something precious about watching Rudy Huxtable.
Olivia Kendall.
Judy Winslow.
And the little Black girls who appeared across the sitcoms many of us grew up watching.
They got to be children.
Not symbols [...]
AFFIRMATIONS AND SELF LOVE
Before We Called It Therapy, Black Folks Had the Stage
There is an old kind of healing that many Black Americans know, even if nobody ever gave it a clinical name.
Some of us met it [...]
HEALING JOURNEY
From Shame to Strategy: How to Train Your Brain to Fail Smarter
Learning about shame is so important. I've personally seen shame drive people to their very end.
Learning about shame is a life saver.
[...]
Finding Your Anchor: How to Prioritize What Matters in Times of Chaos
Man speaks out after climbing 19-story building during fire looking for his mother
In times of uncertainty, it is easy to feel pulled in [...]
There Are Souls Beyond the Scoreboard: A History Lesson in Hope, Radio, and Second Wind (podcast episode)
We are not living in the time of afterschool specials, radio dedications, and songs that reached through the static to touch a hurting child’s heart.
[...]
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 [...]
CONFIDENCE/POWER/RESILIENCE
Your Hormones Are Not Betraying You—They’re Trying to Protect You
Let’s make one thing clear:
You are not crazy.You are not lazy.You are not broken.
You are in a body that has been trying to protect you in ways n [...]
Survivor Affirmations: Actually, I CAN and I WILL (podcast short)
Building on the true story of the United States' first elected woman mayor, Susanna Salter, this short episode inspires listeners to believe t [...]

Life Calls Us to Evolve Culturally Too: Sinners Dancers Revealed !! Juke Joint Scene Explained — Dance Styles, Symbolism & Forgotten History
Life does not call us to evolve through advancements in technology only. Life calls us to evolve culturally as well.
Without cultural evolution:
[...]

🌸 Groovy Affirmations: Becoming Beautiful to Myself, for Myself
The more I become myself, the more I become art.
I create my own rhythm of beauty—no mirrors required.
My reflection is a remix of every less [...]
HEALTHING JOURNEY
Speak Woman Speak (audio)
Reminding women that our voices are powerful and deserve to be heard. (2022)
Speak Woman Speak (audio): WESurviveAbuse.com encour [...]
BLACK GIRL, YOUR CREATIVITY HAS TRAVELED THE WORLD 🌍🤎
Look around.
Hair.
Fashion.
Dance.
Music.
Language.
Beauty.
Humor.
Style.
So much of what Black communities h [...]
Survivor Affirmations: History Remembers What is Rooted in Truth, Love, and Dignity.
American fashion icon Dapper Dan shares the history of the Adinkra symbol 'Sankofa' in Harlem, New York (& other places around the United St [...]
Cultural Mirrors: Reflecting Self-Worth Through the Practice of Honoring Traditions
The teachers are surprised to learn the kids are unaware of a vital piece of cultural history.
Cultural traditions matter
Among the [...]
🌱 Affirmations for the Survivor Accused of “Changing”
Here is a healing and empowering set of affirmations for Survivors who are being accused of “changing”—when in reality, they are growing, healing, and [...]
Untold Inventions Of Black Women Inventors That Schools Don’t Teach in Black History
Surviving isn’t luck—it’s innovation and strategy. “I create what has never been seen, because innovation runs in my bloodline.” [...]
She Is AMAZING
Survivor Spotlight: Barbara J Hansen
Survivor Spotlight: Barbara J Hansen [...]
BLACK GIRL, YOUR CREATIVITY HAS TRAVELED THE WORLD 🌍🤎
Look around.
Hair.
Fashion.
Dance.
Music.
Language.
Beauty.
Humor.
Style.
So much of what Black communities h [...]
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 [...]
The Architecture of Sound & Soul: Celebrating Marlena Shaw This Black Music Month
When we talk about the giants of Black music, certain household names instantly clear the room. But there is a specific, sacred tier of artistry occup [...]
Different Go-Go, Same Refusal to Disappear into Misery
I just discovered something beautiful.
There are two kinds of “GoGo.”
One was born in Washington, DC.
One comes from Tanzania.
And somehow [...]
ART HEALS
10 Facts About Lift Every Voice and SING!
So my childhood was spent learning this song. We sang this and other songs like it for assemblies. I get out into the world and learn not only have ot [...]
When You’re Trained to Consume a Culture but Not Understand It (Amplifying Affirmations for Black Creators)
It isn't that people think that Black art should never be critiqued, but there is undeniable and die-hard racism within the critiques. Further, when m [...]
An Affirmation for Choosing How You Live
Anyone who danced the way Prince danced—with that level of athleticism, speed, torque, elevation, repetition,and especially in heels—understood early [...]
There Are Souls Beyond the Scoreboard: A History Lesson in Hope, Radio, and Second Wind (podcast episode)
We are not living in the time of afterschool specials, radio dedications, and songs that reached through the static to touch a hurting child’s heart.
[...]
JOURNALING/WRITING IN A HEALTHIER WORLD
WE Survive Abuse Podcast













