What happens when being capable becomes proof that we are worthy? I explore the connection between Black women's strength, achievement, belonging and the exhausting work of trying to prove we are enough.
Life's Gumbo: I Have Absorbed Enough
There is a particular kind of tired that does not come from doing too much. It comes from absorbing too much. As I approach 50, I’m reconsidering how much of my life I’m willing to spend explaining my needs, carrying dysfunction and fighting for conditions that should not require constant negotiation.
Life's Gumbo: How Much of Yourself Are You Editing to Be Heard?
We are taught that good communication means knowing our audience and considering how a message will land. For Black people and others from marginalized communities, that can quietly become something more: the constant work of softening, translating and editing ourselves so other people can receive us comfortably. This reflection explores the difference between strategic adaptation and self-erasure — and what it means to know when the adjustment is serving you and when it is costing you.
Life's Gumbo: What Did We Do to Save Her?
Life's Gumbo: My Auntie Used to Say, “F*** ’Em and Feed ’Em Fish and Beans.”
Life's Gumbo: When Oppression Becomes Sacred
What happens when the things harming us are wrapped in language we were taught to call holy? When Oppression Becomes Sacred examines faith, survival and the beliefs Black women have inherited about sacrifice, obedience and endurance, while making room for the ways faith has also sustained and liberated us.
Life's Gumbo: Baby, I’m T’ied | What Black Women Understood in the Deja Coleman Story
When Deja Coleman’s story broke, Black women heard more than exhaustion. We recognized what it looks like to keep functioning when your mind and body are asking for help. Her story raises a harder question: How often do we call Black women strong when what we really mean is that nobody came to help?
Life’s Gumbo: The Weight of Expectation
To avoid disappointment, take people as they are instead of idolizing what they could be."
Expectations can be deceiving, making us believe we love someone when, in reality, we love their potential. In this deep reflection on radical acceptance, Brandi Williams explores how letting go of unrealistic expectations leads to inner peace, healthier relationships, and true self-awareness. Learn how to stop forcing connections, embrace people as they are, and reclaim your emotional well-being.
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