Dear Black Woman from Aliah Wright

Dear Black Women,

When I was in the sixth grade I won an award for perseverance. I smiled when they handed me the trophy – but when no one was looking, I picked up my dictionary. I had no idea what that word meant then. But it fueled my love for words, for knowledge, for meaning.

Perseverance, simply, is being able to put one foot in front of the other in the face of monumental setbacks and upheavals. It means being able to face failures and challenges despite horrific circumstances. It means smiling through tears when all you really want to do is give up. But it also means being patient and persistent—the key ingredients in the dish called success. We’ve all been there. The car won’t start. A relationship fails. A new boss decides they don’t like us for whatever reason—or no reason at all. We find the courage to begin again. When the game of life gets far too hard, we’ve all fought the urge to pick up our marbles, put them in our bag, and just go home.

But Blessed, Beautiful Black Woman, I’m talking to you. Don’t forget who you are or whose you are. There is something about us that’s far deeper than just the melanin ingrained in our pretty brown skin. We have within us an intestinal fortitude that would give most people pause. We don’t capitulate. It’s the resilience, you see that we’ve learned from our mothers and grandmothers our fathers and forefathers who fought hard for what was right, despite what may have seemed like insurmountable odds.

Photo by Christina Morillo

So, when life seems as if it’s hanging by a thread, don’t throw in the towel. Martial your reserves, hold your head high, pray, meditate, call a friend to commiserate. Dance in your kitchen to some old-school hip hop. Have a glass of wine and popcorn (Olivia Pope style). Remember the women who’ve gone before us—Madam C.J. Walker, any of the Hidden Figures, Shirley Chisolm, and yes, Kamala Harris. Some were shown in words and deeds and told that they were less than nothing—but that didn’t keep them from persevering. Take a deep breath, dive in, hang on for life.

But don’t you dare quit. Persevere. Your breakthrough is closer than you think.

With Love,

Aliah Wright

Aliah Wright is the author of the critically acclaimed debut thriller, “Now You Owe Me," (Red Hen Press).