Unapologetic

Has anyone watched The Secret? If you haven’t, it’s a self-help type of documentary. Creating vision or inspiration boards was an easy takeaway from the documentary. The purpose of an inspiration board is to keep you focused on your goals. The idea is that what you think about is what the universe responds to. I’ve recently found inspiration from Mareena Robinson Snowden, Tarana Burke, and Amandla Stenberg.

First off, MAREENA! Praise God for that womxn. Mareena is the first black womxn to earn a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from MIT. She’s just overall amazing! Black Lives Matter? Uh, yes! You’ll find her supporting that movement. She is intelligent, hardworking, and is unapologetically black. What’s even better is she talks about how she wasn’t sure a field in STEM was for her, but confidence, her father’s support, and trying something new is what brought her to nuclear engineering. This womxn reinforces that black is professional. Black is beautiful. Black is intelligent. She did that!

 I had the most memorable and amazing opportunity while I was a student at Iowa State University to listen and meet Tarana Burke, the founder of the #MeToo movement. I left the auditorium feeling like I could conquer the world solely because I said I could. You want to make something happen? Then do it. She was asked, “What comes next for the movement?” Her answer was YOU. Instead of tearing each other down, we need to support and love each other. This movement is for everyone.

AMANDLA. This proud, black womxn denied a role in the Black Panther so one of her darker-skinned sisters could take the lead. PREACH! How many other actresses would do that? She is an activist and is proud of who she is. She explores the power and beauty that is blackness. *I haven’t read her comic book yet, but it’s a must.*

All these womxn have one thing in common. They worked for what they wanted, they help others and are unapologetically black. I know that I can take after them.

*Honorable mentions:  Michelle Obama, Zoë Kravitz, Gabrielle Union, Natalie Portman, and Reese Whitherspoon*

*Side note: I’m not sure that the universe directly responds to what we think about, but I think that staying positive and knowing your goals is important. I can control how I think, but  I can’t control life or actions of others.*