You have a responsibility

I was Watching a clip of fix my life on the episode about colorism amongst black women. And I felt the need to share these words spoken by Iyanla Vanzant.👇🏾

You have a responsibility to Ruby dee

You have a responsibility to Harriet Tubman

You have a responsibility to Nina Simone and to Dorathy Dandridge

To Rosa parks who's blue veins were shining through her arms

When she took that seat on the bus

You have a responsibility to Angela Davis and Dr Betty Shabazz and Dr Coretta Scott king

You have a responsibility... You matter to us

And everytime you open your mouth

You open your mouth for every grandmother, every great grandmother, every great great grandmother

That picked cotton and squatted down in the field to birth a baby so she can go back to work...

That's who you open your mouth for

They are the reason we sit here

You matter

You matter

And forgive the elders for letting you get away with behavior that doesn't honor any of us

For talking about you behind your back

And never opening their hearts

To say no, you're better than that, don't do that. Don't say that

Your grandmothers and great grandmothers was raped in a field so you won't have to do that...

Forgive that generation for forcing you to be silent about certain things just be safe and comfortable

For the ways you taught to sell yourself for acknowledgement and recognition

Forgive them

For Things they tolerated, and accommodated because they were afraid and tired and just wouldn't stand up

That they now use to demean and diminish you

Forgive them. And forgive yourself. And when I say I am not my sister's keeper, yet I am my sister.

Forgive me for the things I do to diminish myself that make you think it's okay to diminish me and yourself

-Iyanla Vanzant -

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