This is the moment where we all say a collective, “THANK YOU” to Black Women, from the bottom of our hearts, who continue to push us to become a more socially just country and have made it possible for this violent nightmare to soon come to an end. THANK YOU for restoring our ability to breathe. THANK YOU for giving our immigrant communities a chance. THANK YOU for giving our black and brown children a chance at something different, and hopefully something better for their generation. THANK YOU for giving our people a chance at surviving and hopefully living safely one day. The fight is far from over, but you have given us a fighting chance.
I acknowledge and honor the arduous work of so many leaders whose names we may never know, many of them young, black, brown, women. We must not be mistaken in who the true changemakers of this country are, the black and brown women who fight everyday for us. It is time for this country to see us and acknowledge us for this taxing and many times soul wrenching work; yet we all get up and do it because we know we deserve better and demand better.
More importantly, it is time for us to see each other and embrace one another for we are the ones who will lead this country into its next iteration of justice. We are the ones who know how to be in community and take care of community. We know what belonging feels like in communities because we tend to be the creators of it. We make it safer for others to exist in spaces, we build spaces of love and care for others. We bring love, joy and community wherever we go.
We bring healing into spaces, and there is healing needing to happen in our communities. We can no longer wait for these systems who work like clock work to oppress us to change, we have to actively change and transform ourselves, our communities, and these very systems so that our children can live full lives, and have the freedom of choice.
A glass ceiling has been shattered by Madam Vice President elect, Kamala Harris for all of us black and brown women and girls. We can do anything, we can occupy any space, and execute any position. Let’s take that to our local communities and take space. We will build systems; lead companies, organizations and governments into a racially equitable and just new world. I believe we can do it, because together we can do anything.
This again shows, building communities of Belonging starts with having women of color lead.