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#WednesdayWisdom

"I am preparing for my joy and blessings. I am doing more than waiting. I am making necessary moves to receive my abundance." — alex elle

Morning Musings

In 2004, I was one of two Black girls in my graduating high school class of 110. Sixteen years later and, sadly, not much has changed. Last night, twelve of my fellow alumnae (Sailors, as we're known) gathered to share our experiences as Black and Brown girls at a predominately white high school.

It may come as a shock to some of you, judging by the outspoken Black feminist before you today, but I wasn't always this confident and wasn't always proud to be Black. More on that here.

After years of bullying at my predominately Black parochial elementary and middle school, I was ecstatic to attend an all-girls Catholic high school. I initially bonded with white classmates over a shared love of *NSYNC and Britney Spears (a love I was ridiculed for in middle school), but I was so eager to fit in and be accepted that I overlooked many of the microaggressions and much of the overt racism that took place my four years there.

Granted, Teenage L'Oreal didn't know what microaggressions were, but still.

Fast forward to last night and it was sad (yet somehow not surprising) how many of us had the same experience. But we're looking to change that and use our collective voices to demand real, tangible change and make our alma mater a safer space for young women of color.

We may not have had the high school experience we wanted or deserved, but we'll be damned if we're not going to do and demand better for the next generation. It starts with us. It starts now.

Love,
L'Oreal

ICYMI

Recently, I was featured on the Living Over Existing podcast talking about all things writing: how to get started; how to pitch editors, how to get paid, etc. Be sure to check it out and tell me your favorite parts!

Also, I was quoted in Bitch Media's roundup about Insecure. What are your thoughts on the season overall and especially that finale? Hit "reply" and let me know!

Virtual Happenings

June 24: Allyship 101. Women Unite explores what it means to be an ally and shares practical tips on how to be an effective ally. (Suggested donation $15)

June 27: I Climb the Ladder: Q2 Career Intensive. Watchen Nyanue presents a virtual summit to help you take control of your career. ($79)

June 27: BK Yoga Club Presents Recess. This daylong virtual wellness retreat includes yoga, sound bowl meditation, poetry and more. (Early bird, $10)

June 28: Therapy with Sista Afiya. Camesha Jones will share her incredible mental health work with Sista Afya and how she's offering therapy sessions for those in need. (Free)

June 29: Black Women, Let's Talk! Breaking the Black Ceiling in Today's America. Career coach Latesha Byrd is dropping GEMS! (FREE)

Links I Love

1. Finding Well-Being and Black Joy When the World Is on Fire. I mean, the headline pretty much says it all. (VOGUE)  

2. Rest as Reparations. Because, as Tricia Hersey of The Nap Ministry says, rest is a form of resistance. (New York Times) 

3. Why Are Black Women and Girls Still an Afterthought in Our Outrage Over Police Violence? It's been three months since Breonna Taylor was murdered and the officers who killed her still have not been charged or arrested. (TIME)

My Latest Obsession

I read Talia Hibbert's Get a Life, Chloe Brown and immediately fell in love with the Brown sisters. Now the sequel, Take a Hint, Dani Brown, is out and I'm only a quarter of the way through so far, but I am OBSESSED. Pretty much I am here for Black authors and Black female leads in romance novels (all novels, tbh, but especially romance because Black girls deserve love, too!). PLUS, I got to interview Hibbert for Shondaland (EEK!), so stay tuned for that Q&A in next week's newsletter.

Now Hiring

1. Editor-in-Chief at Refinery29

2. Digital Marketing Manager for The Executives' Club of Chicago

3. Influencer Manager for CurlMix

4. Manager, Inclusion & Diversity at Condé Nast

5. Communications Director for Queer Cultural Center

6. Writer, Personal Finance for NerdWallet

7. Creative Director, Art for Allstate

8. Designer for Madewell

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