Leadership & Advocacy

The other day a man said to me, almost casually, “Jasmine Crockett just doesn’t know when to speak or when to shut up" I let that sit with me for a moment. Because what he really meant was something different. What he meant was that she speaks when people would prefer she didn’t. There is a quiet expectation placed on Black women in this country. Speak up when injustice appears. Show up when democracy is threatened. Carry the message. Carry the movement. Carry the pain. But d

There is a quiet exhaustion many Black women carry — not from weakness, but from being the dependable backbone of movements, families, and political systems that rarely pour back into them. This piece explores structural fatigue, loyalty without reciprocity, and the necessity of strategic rest as an act of preservation.

We discuss net worth as if it is solely financial. Yet what is the value of wealth without vitality? Health operates like a bank account. Deposits and withdrawals occur daily. Deposits include sleep, hydration, balanced nutrition, movement, preventive screenings, therapy, laughter, boundaries. Withdrawals include stress, processed food, unresolved trauma, chronic overwork, neglect. Many women of color operate in long-term deficit. High blood pressure normalized. Anxiety norma

Let’s remove the fantasy. High-achieving women are complex friendships. We are visionary. Driven. Protective of our time. Deeply invested in our own growth. We operate at levels that require discipline. That discipline can sometimes translate as distance. Friendship in this space demands emotional maturity. There are seasons when one friend’s career accelerates rapidly. Visibility increases. Invitations multiply. Financial gains show. The other may be building quietly. Healin

The term “work-life balance” suggests symmetry. Equal weight. Perfect distribution. Most women of color know that is fiction. Jeff Bezos introduced the concept of work-life harmony, suggesting that work energizes life when aligned with passion, while life strengthens work when stable. On paper, it sounds progressive. In practice, harmony often assumes access to support systems. Childcare. Financial margin. Flexible schedules. Autonomy over time. Many women are juggling career