Remember when the guy's of Yale University's Black Men’s Union did something amazing when they brought the #BlackLivesMatter movement to the Ivy League institution, by way of preparing letters to their future sons?
Well, with the rising deaths of Black women at the hands of suspected police brutality and prison neglect (from Sandra Bland to Ralkina Jones), women realized their stories needed to be heard too. So what did they do? Spoke up–for themselves, and on behalf of their future daughters.
Created by Shavontae Patrick, Danielle Gaines, Heaven Imanchinello, and Ashleigh Shackelford (all undergraduate students at the time at Virginia Commonwealth University), the "To My Unborn Daughter" project was an initiative created in hopes of shedding light on the racism and police brutality that directly affects Black women and gender nonconforming people. Although the project was birthed last year, it's making it's rounds on social media once again because it's just that powerful.
Black Women, conforming and non-conforming, are taking a stand in the fight to be recognized and not be forgotten in the "Black Lives Matter Movement," too. Still walking alongside all those involved in the fight against the wrongful deaths of Black men in the BLM movement, the female-counterparts in these movements are speaking up too.
This includes cisgendered women (those women determined to be women by way of anatomy and society deeming them women solely because of said anatomy and science), transgender women and non-gender conforming women–all can find a place here and share a story for themselves and the women that will one day live in a world where they may not be welcomed. The group focused on Black intersectional issues in hopes of cultivating engagement within the community.
According to Black Action Now’s Tumblr page,
“We created this project to respectfully address that every 28 hours, a BLACK PERSON is killed. And everyday, a BLACK PERSON, is oppressed and marginalized for their existence intertwined with intersecting identity components. It’s not just about Black men; not just our fathers, not just our brothers, or our sons. That includes Black women, Black gender-nonconforming folks, and Black trans folks. It’s imperative that we keep the conversation going and discuss our experiences and concerns when it comes to the liberation of Black people.”
Some of the letters, written on poster boards, include:
"To my unborn daughter, You will defy their odds, their stereotypes, and their system. Just like your hair defies gravity. -" Danielle Gaines
"To my unborn daughter, I pray they allow you to be unapologetically black. I pray they don’t silence your right to anger. I pray your name isn’t absent in the mouths of protesters." - Shavontae Patrick
"To my unborn daughter, Being big and black and a woman is beautiful. Your body is not worth less than anyone else’s. Take up as much space as you want, because society won’t even offer you a seat." - Ashleigh Shackelford
For Ashleigh Shackelford, the movement is long overdue. She recently opened up to xoNecole to say:
“Our work, our humanity, our experiences, and our voices are overshadowed by the focus on Black men. Historically, this has always been an issue in the Black Power movement. We talk about Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, but we never talk about Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, or Assata Shakur.We don't center the foundation of this movement with the people who actually put in the most work and theorized most of the experiences and power structures we navigate.”Ashleigh holding u her letter to her daughter
In addressing her own letter to her daughter, Ashleigh said the need to say something stemmed from being a Black woman raised by a Black woman who may one day raise a Black woman. In openly addressing the marginalization of her identity, she confidently says she refuses to be forgotten and isn’t willing to use her own privilege as a cis-woman to exclude Black transwomen and those who identify as gender nonconforming.
“In penning my sign, I was addressing other fat Black girls like me. Fatness has so much to do with my navigation as a Black woman and as a queer woman. I am constantly marginalized in my identity. But I also refuse to use my privilege as a cis-woman to leave my Black trans and gender nonconforming fam out of the conversation.Black transwomen are being murdered at higher rates than anyone else and we're not talking about it. We are constantly in a state of emergency in our community, but we must broaden our fight to include all victims. Who we dedicate marches to is political. The less we bring awareness to Black trans women's dehumanization, the more we perpetuate the basis for this violence. We can fight for the Mike Brown's without forgetting about the Shade Schuler's.”
Powerful!
See the photos from the project in our gallery below.
What would your letteer to your unborn daughter say?
Now masterdating? Even though it’s not even close to being a “real” word, it’s something that also brought a laugh outta me — although it was then followed by a genuine smile. The laugh because I almost immediately caught the play-on-words. The smile was due to the intention behind it all.
If you’re not familiar with what masterdating is and you’re curious about why you should even care, take a few moments to at least skim through what it’s about and why I think participating, as a single person, is a pretty cool (and effective) concept.
@knotlukas Masturdate: a date w oneself
What’s Masterdating All About?
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Masterdating. Okay, so let the word marinate for just a moment. What does it sound like? Yeah…exactly. And since a huge part of masturbation centers around self-pleasure, it’s cool to explore how “self-dating” could produce similar (as far as pleasure is concerned in a broader sense) results. Because masterdating is all about spending quality time with yourself, pampering yourself, treating yourself— and yes, taking yourself out on dates.
Any of you who may think that masterdating is a consolation prize — and a pitiful one at that — for not being able to go out with another human being or get that dream $200 first date that social media was all in a tizzy about last year (bookmark that) — personally, I think that you’re the demographic who needs to try out masterdating first and the most. Why? Off top, I’ll share my three good reasons.
3 Reasons To Strongly Consider Masterdating
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1. It’s an intimate way to get to know yourself better. I’ve been working with couples for a pretty long time at this point and if there’s a pattern that I see arise, OFTEN, it’s that two people are oftentimes so busy trying to “find their person” that they didn’t even know who they were. As a direct result, they found themselves in a relationship with someone who only complemented the “kiddie pool version” of who they were.
That’s why it can be so beneficial to spend time getting to know yourself on the “deep end” of things: what makes you tick, what your passions are, what you want most out of life, what are your interests beyond obvious things — and masterdating can help you to discover all of this. Whether it’s traveling alone or taking out a weekend to drink some wine and journal, the more you get to know yourself, the clearer you’ll be about who complements you on a romantic and friendship level.
2. It will definitely help to boost your confidence levels. I guess since I’m an ambivert, I don’t really get why people freak out at the mere thought of going to a restaurant or movie alone. Personally, I think it requires a helluva lot more energy and gumption to wait around and plan stuff with other people (#Elmoshrug). However, whether you’re an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert, there’s no way around the fact that the more comfortable you get with doing things alone, the more your confidence levels will increase — no, soar — because of it.
One article that I read on the topic said that doing things alone can make you more creative, improve your mental health, and help you to be totally okay with being alone (so that you’re not “needy” for other people’s attention). A psychotherapist from a New York Times article on the benefits of spending time alone said, “Getting better at identifying moments when we need solitude to recharge and reflect can help us better handle negative emotions and experiences, like stress and burnout.” And when you’re able to stare negativity in its face without flinching, how could that not make you bolder, more self-secure, and hopeful about your life?
3. It will teach you to value your time more effectively. In every facet of your world, you’re gonna operate from a healthier place if you’re operating from a “full cup” rather than an empty one. When it comes to this topic, think about it — if you’re constantly waiting on someone to call you to go out or wishing for a dream date with some guy, all you’re doing is wasting precious time that you could be spending taking a cooking class or hell, hiring a chef to make you dinner at your own home.
Indeed, waiting has two sides to it: when it’s in the form of patience, it is indeed a virtue, yet when it’s wrapped up in the notion that you’re not really living life unless you have an audience…it is totally working against you. Choose wisely.
10 Solo Date Ideas To Help You To “Master” Masterdating
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So, what if you’re someone who has either never considered actually masterdating before or you don’t really know what to do beyond dinner and the movies? Here are a few ideas to consider:
1. Attend a workshop or masterclass that you’re interested in. If there’s something that you’ve always wanted to learn, sign up for a workshop or masterclass. The cool thing about this option is there are probably some in your city, as well as some that you can find online (like here) that are convenient and affordable.
2. Binge-read at a local coffee shop. Aside from their coziness and oftentimes inviting scents, I once read that a lot of us gravitate to coffee shops because we can be around people without having to actually socialize with them. So, if you want to “hang out” while still being able to enjoy a bit of solitude, take a book that you’ve been trying to finish to a local coffee shop, order your favorite latte, and sit in a big-ass comfy chair. Usually, you can sit there for hours, and the staff will be just fine with it (another bonus).
3. Have a spa day in the next town. You can never go wrong with a spa day. And while going with a friend can be fun, sometimes there’s too much talking transpiring to be able to fully chill out and relax. So, go off of the grid, get a change of scenery, and hit up a spa in the next city (or town). There are lots of studies out here supporting that day trips or “daycations” can actually be really good for your long-term health and well-being.
4. See a community play. Some of the best solo dates that I’ve ever been on consisted of taking in some of the local arts in my city. What’s really cool about this particular option is, oftentimes, they are extremely inexpensive, if not totally free of charge (in exchange for making a donation or putting money into a tip jar).
5. Plan a trip. Whenever people say something along the lines of, “If you don’t expect anything, you won’t be disappointed,” I know that they low-key have some (additional) healing to do from past disappointments. There’s simply too much intel out here to support that anticipation (of good stuff) makes us more motivated and optimistic, keeps our dopamine levels up, and makes life more exciting overall.
Since traveling alone is more cost-effective, gives you the freedom to do whatever you want (when you want), and increases the possibility of meeting new people and having new experiences on your journey — why not devote a day this weekend to planning a solo trip? All the way around, it’s good for you.
6. Try your hand at your own “$200 date.” Uh-huh. Roll your eyes if you want to, but it’s real easy to talk left about how a man should be able to just drop $200 like it’s nothing…until you actually try to do it. So yes, while taking yourself out on this type of date could serve as a bit of a reality check, it can also “scratch the itch” of waiting on some dude to do it for you. It’s also way less emotionally draining because, at least when you’re taking your own self out, it’s guaranteed that you’ll enjoy the company…right?
7. DIY some pampering. When you get a chance, check out “5 Reasons You Should Unapologetically Pamper Yourself,” “Want To Love On Yourself? Try These 10 Things At Home.,” “I’ve Got Some Ways For You To Start Pampering Your Soul,” and “When's The Last Time You Actually Pampered Your Vagina?” The bottom line here is pampering is all about, not mere self-maintenance; it’s all about treating yourself to levels of EXTREME SELF-INDULGENCE. So, if nothing else tickles your fancy on this list, at least consider doing that, chile.
8. Feed your creativity. Something that I used to be really good at is art. That said, one of my goddaughters is insanely talented, so she has reminded me to tap back into it. Also, a big part of what got me into the writing world is poetry; I actually used to be a house poet at a local spot. Sometimes, my best quality time moments with myself have been revisiting these creative sides of me — and this is definitely easier to do (and enjoy) alone.
9. Try some stargazing. When’s the last time you took a blanket into your backyard, laid down on it, and just stared at the stars for hours on end? While some say that stargazing can teach you to be mindful, others say that being in that form of nature reduces stress, while others believe that looking up at the universe at night can increase your attention span. All solid reasons to give it a shot, if you ask me.
10. DO. ABSOLUTELY. NOTHING. Let me tell you something that nobody will ever be able to make me feel bad about: doing absolutely nothing. I’ve got data to back me up. Good Housekeeping shares that doing nothing can help you decide how you want to respond or react to certain things. I like howThe Guardian says that taking this approach helps you to regain control of what you give your attention to.
TIME magazine says that it can ultimately make you more productive.BBC offers up that it can help you tap into your ingenuity.Henry Ford Health says that it can make you kinder and a better problem-solver. So, if you want to invest in yourself, do nothing sometimes.
Closing Thoughts from the Lovely Javicia Leslie
While some of y'all may know Javicia Leslie from being the former Batwoman, I discovered her back in the day from the indie series Chef Julian (and yes, "Julian" was right to say that "Mo" looks like Tatyana Ali...the real ones know). Sometimes I'll hop on her IG to see what she's got going on and this story popped up within a few hours of me penning this...so, I took it as hella confirmation.
TREAT YO SELF. WAIT FOR NO ONE.
WAIT FOR NO ONE. TREAT YO SELF.
RINSE AND REPEAT.
_____
Sooo…what kind of masterdating plans do you have for this coming weekend? While going out with others has its perks, hanging out with yourself has a ton of ‘em too. Enjoy!
No…for real. ENJOY!
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