One Year Later
- 11 minutes ago
- 8 min read
November 4, 2024, was a pivotal moment in history for Black women and for America. For generations, we have been the ones to steady the nation in times of chaos. Yet the 2024 election results also revealed something deeper: America is still not listening to the warning signals of Black women. Our votes, our voices, and our foresight have long been the nation’s early alarm system, but too often, the sound is ignored until the damage is done.
We keep showing up for America:
✅ 96% for Obama in 2008 and 2012
✅ 94% for Clinton in 2016
✅ 92% for Biden and Harris in 2020
✅ And once again, 92% for Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024
We are the #92Percenters.These numbers are not coincidence; they are conviction. Our intuition and foresight have always been unmatched.
Like Whoopi Goldberg’s character in Ghost, we have repeatedly warned:
👉🏾 “America… you in danger, girl.”
Yet even after decades of being the first to sound the alarm, we are often the last to be heard.
For generations, Black women have carried this country on our backs: in our workplaces, our churches, our communities, and our homes.
Our intuition and ability of foresight are second to none. We often see the crisis before it arrives, and yet we are constantly gaslit, dismissed, discounted, and disregarded until help is needed.
We mentor, we mediate, and we rebuild. We are the constant everyone counts on - but rarely listens to before the storm.
That emotional labor comes at a cost to our minds, our bodies, and our spirits. The weight of being “the constant” is heavy, and the cost of always being a “strong Black woman” is often invisible.
At some point, we must ask: When will America learn to listen before it is too late?
That is why I opted for a different kind of resistance this year.
I am hanging up the cape.
Not because I have given up - far from it - but because I am choosing rest as my new frontline.
Rest is not surrender. Rest is strategy. Rest is resistance.
We have been conditioned to equate strength with constant output, with emotional and spiritual exhaustion. Here, I am declaring that rest is radical.
To heal.
To pause.
To restore.
That is how we fight back against the myth that we must always be “on.”
This shift does not mean we stop showing up. It means we show up differently.
Since April 2025, nearly 400,000 Black women have become unemployed in American.
We remain the most educated demographic in the U.S. workforce…yet still the most underemployed.
And the words of Malcolm X from 1962 still echo more than six decades later:
“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.”
That truth has not changed.
But neither has our resilience.
We have rebuilt from rubble before.
This time, we are rebuilding differently.
On November 6, 2024, the day after the election, I made a decision to choose peace.
It was not an act of escape. It was an act of alignment.
I wanted to live as part of the majority for the first time in my life.I wanted to live in a country where Black women hold over 60% of government positions, where our presence in leadership is seen as necessary and normal…not exceptional.
I wanted to experience what it feels like to be valued by DEFAULT, not by EXCEPTION.
My spirit was calling for a different kind of freedom, one that did not require me to constantly explain or justify my existence.
That calling led me to Rwanda.
I wanted to live in a country that made the intentional and conscious decision to face its past, to ensure that what once divided its people would never happen again.
Rwanda did not bury its history; it confronted it.
The nation forgave itself for the genocide that tore it apart, recognizing that its people are one, no longer divided by race, class, or ethnicity.
It removed the outside forces that had sown division among its citizens and restored itself to something even stronger than before the tragedy.
That intentional healing resonated deeply with me. It reminded me that reconciliation and accountability can coexist, but that progress requires courage.
Living in Kigali for the past nine months has given me something I did not know I was missing.
✨ I wake up to birds instead of breaking news.
✨ I walk through my neighborhood feeling safe, seen, and grounded.
✨ I have found four things that now anchor my spirit: a true sense of pride in my Blackness, a true sense of peace that quiets my mind, a true sense of acceptance without conditions, and a true sense of belonging that runs deeper than words.
Rwanda has taught me that healing can be both collective and personal. I am surrounded each day by a culture that celebrates who I am, not as an exception…but as part of the whole.
Moving to Rwanda was not just a change of scenery. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
No regrets. Just restoration.
It is a sacrifice being away from the familiar, as well as friends and family. There are moments when I miss home and the people who shaped me.
Yet after experiencing such a sense of betrayal from a country that, just five years ago, said they were ready for the same healing and accountability Rwanda went through…the sacrifice is worth it.
I could no longer give my energy to a system that demanded my strength but disregarded my safety. I knew that if I stayed, my mental, emotional, and physical health would be in jeopardy.
Protecting my peace became my only option.
For some Black women, that looks like therapy or a sabbatical.
For others, it might mean a new career path or a different city.
For me, it meant a plane ticket to preservation.
Whatever saving yourself looks like, honor it.
I am enjoying my experience abroad and getting used to my new life.
I feel happy, safe, valued, and welcomed.
I feel at ease with no stress or anxiety.
I am clear-headed, more creative, and more focused than I have been in years.
This new season has restored my sense of joy and purpose. It has reminded me what it feels like to THRIVE instead of simply SURVIVE.
Will I return to America full time? Never say never…but not yet.
Here, I am grounded and at peace. I feel safe!
This season of rest has given me what no title, position, or accolade ever could: clarity.And from that clarity comes conviction.
I am even more determined to come out on the other side of this time in our history stronger, smarter, and more focused on making a difference.
Rest is not weakness. Rest is wisdom. And for Black women…rest is how we will win.
November Observances:
National Native American Heritage Month: During National Native American Heritage Month, we celebrate Indigenous peoples past and present and rededicate ourselves to honoring Tribal sovereignty, promoting Tribal self-determination, and upholding the United States’ solemn trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal Nations.
National Family Caregivers Month: Proclaimed in 2012 by former President Barack Obama. It honors the more than forty million caregivers across the country who support aging parents, ill spouses, or other loved ones with disabilities who remain at home
National Veterans and Military Families Month: We give special recognition to veterans and military families for their invaluable contributions and steadfast service to our country.
Diabetes Awareness Month: a month dedicated to raising awareness about diabetes, a global health epidemic that affects millions of people. This annual event serves as a platform to educate, advocate, and support individuals living with diabetes while encouraging others to take proactive steps to prevent the disease.
National Career Development Month: A month to reflect on professional growth and lifelong learning as essential parts of success. It encourages individuals and organizations alike to invest in developing new skills, exploring opportunities, and shaping meaningful career paths.
All Saints’ Day, November 1: A Christian holiday commemorating all known and unknown Christian saints (In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the day is observed on the first Sunday after Pentecost.)
All Souls’ Day, November 2: A Christian holiday commemorating all faithful Christians who are now dead.
Dia de los Muertos, November 2: In the Mexican tradition, All souls day is celebrated as Dia de los Muertos, which is a time of remembrance for dead ancestors and a celebration of the continuity of life.
National Stress Awareness Day, November 4: To increase public awareness and help people recognize, manage, and reduce stress in their personal and professional lives.
World Adoption Day, November 9: The day was created for the purpose of celebrating family, raising awareness for adoption, and raising funds to support families in the adoption journey.
Veterans' Day, November 11: A U.S. federal holiday honoring military veterans. The date is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world and commemorates the ending of World War I in 1918.
Transgender Awareness Week, November 13–19: The week before Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, in which people and organizations participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues members of the community face.
International Day for Tolerance, November 16: An annual observance day declared by UNESCO in 1995 to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance.
International ERG Day, November 17: Today, ERGs can be found at companies of all sizes and industries where they play an important role in shaping an inclusive culture and fostering a sense of belonging in the workplace.
Native Women’s Equal Pay Day, November 18: Native women working full-time, year-round, were paid 58 cents, and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) were paid 53 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men in 2024.
International Men's Day, November 19: Emphasizes the important issues affecting males, including health issues that affect males, improving the relations between genders, highlighting the importance of male role models, and promoting gender equality. This holiday is celebrated in more than seventy countries.
Transgender Day of Remembrance, November 20: Established in 1998 to memorialize those who have been killed as a result of transphobia and to raise awareness of the continued violence endured by the transgender community.
World Children's Day, November 20: A day to honor the rights, voices, and well-being of children around the world. It encourages reflection on how we can build safer, more equitable environments where every child can learn, grow, and thrive.
Feast of Christ the King, November 22: A Catholic holiday established to thank God for the gift of time and a rededication to the Christian faith.
Thanksgiving Day, November 26: It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year.
Native American Heritage Day, November 27: Held annually on the Friday after Thanksgiving, encourages Americans of all backgrounds to observe and honor Native Americans through appropriate ceremonies and activities. The day was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2008.
Advent, November 29 - December 19: A Christian season of celebration leading up to the birth of Christ.
Until next month... Be well and protect your peace!
Comments