Recalling my youth and experience as a young black girl growing up in this society, I remember facing several obstacles. A few of these obstacles were: Self-hate, Oppression, Invisibility, and Silencing; even today as a woman, I still encounter them. However, through living and learning, I have earned virtues that equip me to overcome with the valiance of a QUEEN.
Virtue #1: Self-Love
Only Self-love can conquer self-hate. Girls must unlearn the devaluing conditioning that fuels the hatred that festers within and gets transferred to other girls. When a Queen fills herself abundantly with LOVE, it will naturally flow out to others.
Virtue #2: Cultural Pride
The FIRST to receive this love should be the tree, better yet the roots by which you were nurtured into fruitfulness. What is a Queen without her people? Love of your people translates to Cultural PRIDE which will be the force to fight the oppression one will face in this society in many forms such as racism, sexism, and discrimination on many levels.
Virtue #3: Visibility
When moving in love, opportunities to be seen arise for a Queen. She must use these opportunities for good. Be SEEN doing Good to encourage and inspire others to do the same, in an effort to make her world a better place. There are forces that will push to keep her invisible to the masses, blocking her from powerful platforms. A Queen must persist and persevere the opposition trying to keep her loving goodness hidden.
Virtue #4: Voice
Be more than seen doing Good, but HEARD as well. A Queen's word is her BOND and she must make bonds with allies to further her powerful influence. Again, there are those who will want to silence her, even condition her in her youth to make her believe that she has no voice; she must not believe this falsehood. Contrarily, a Queen's words are the life given to her thoughts and vision for a brighter future.
Virtue #5: Secret Super Power
Black Girl MAGIC is REAL, so every Queen has super powers to be revealed, to herself and then the world.
As I grew into the Queen that I am today, I discovered my super powers, one of which is magnetism - bringing people together, especially women through empowerment and sisterhood. This is what we did at GEM, love and adorn ourselves, each other, and our culture. You could see and hear us in our selfies, being and saying, "QUEEN!"
