Hey Black girl,
I know you do not know me, but I recognize who you are. I recognize you from your colorful and acrylic beads, the tiny moles in the corner of your eye, the space between your teeth, your chubby cheeks, and the many shades of brown that you are. It is a blessing to have you here on earth! As you travel through girlhood, your journey will be a lot different than people who do not look like you. There are two things that I wish I would have learned in my girlhood, and I want to share them with you.
The first piece of advice is to recognize your self-worth. Self-acceptance is a life journey. The earlier you start, the easier it will be to practice acknowledging your self-worth. When I say self-worth, I mean you know that you are loveable, valuable, and worthy of good things. Even though you will have some less-than-positive experiences in life (we all do!), you do not deserve anyone—not family, not friends, not a lover, not anyone—to make you feel uncomfortable, unsafe, disrespected, used, or loved incorrectly. Always remember that you are worthy!
The second piece of advice is to find your voice. When I say that, I’m not saying become a motivational speaker unless you choose to. What I am expressing is don’t be afraid to speak. Don’t change the way you speak. Express yourself in your own way. You do not have to sound like anyone else, you don’t have to code-switch if you don’t want to. Be confident in who you are and what you have to say! Please advocate for yourself so that you can tell people about your thoughts and needs. When you do find your voice and start to use it, now that’s power!
I hope this advice helps you along your journey as much as it helped me.
And in case ain’t no one told you today: you’re brilliant, unique, and gorgeous!