Still thinking about last week
Dear Sis,
Trigger warning. We say these words to brace ourselves, to soften the blow of what’s to come. But how can we warn against something so deeply familiar? How do we prepare for what Black women have lived through, day in and day out, for generations? The trauma we carry isn’t something we can pause or protect ourselves from—it’s a shadow we know by name.
Yesterday was World Mental Health Day. A day that had to be organized, fought for, brought into existence. But for us, taking care of our mental health has always been a quiet revolution, an act of survival. We’ve walked through fire with no name for the burn, no words for the wounds. But we have always risen. Our mothers rose, and their mothers before them.
Last Saturday, on The Liberation Line, we held space for that rising. Kimya, a woman whose story could break the strongest among us, stood in the ashes of her pain and chose forgiveness. She spoke of violence that could have shattered her, but instead, she became a living testament to what is possible when we refuse to be destroyed. “But God,” she said. And in that moment, her voice became a chorus for every Black woman who has ever survived the unspeakable.
You can listen to the call here. We also created a resource guide to support women who are experiencing intimate partner violence. Please share it widely.
One by one, women called in after Kimya, sharing their own stories of survival. One whispered her truths through tears. Another declared it boldly, like a battle cry. This is what it means to bear witness. To say, “I see you, because I see myself.” To name the wounds so that we might begin to heal them.
But we did more than share our pain. We mobilized. In honor of Ujima, we raised $50,000 to protect Black women facing domestic violence. We built power out of the ruins. That is what we have always done.
Just like the women who came before us. The Silent Marchers of 1917, who organized in defiant silence against racial violence. The women of Montgomery, who carved a movement out of the bones of a bus boycott. The nameless women who led the “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work” campaigns, who fought for justice without asking for permission.
They didn’t have World Mental Health Day. They didn’t have the language to name their trauma. But they had each other. And they had the power to organize. To turn wounds into movements that would shift the world.
Tomorrow, we will open The Liberation Line again to walk with women from around the world. Please join us: (646) 876-9923 Code: 734464325#. There are only two more calls before we gather in person as a movement on Saturday, October 26th, in Atlanta for the Sunrise Rally for Joy & Justice. Close to a 1,000 women have said yes they want to join us, and there’s still space if you want to be in the house as well. RSVP here and help us make history.
We have love and gratitude for every single woman who has said yes to this movement.
Meet us on the pavement tomorrow 9AM ET.
Vanessa (Morgan & Team)