Beyond Inclusion: The Legacy of Black Women Crafting Spaces of Strength and Solidarity

 Not to keep going on about the United States presidential election but I do think that because Black women have checked out from some spaces, there are some misunderstandings floating across the internet unchecked.

Let’s be clear.

1. Black women are disappointed but never defeated. Never have been. 

One political party in the US lost an election.

Black women have not lost our minds, our souls, our essence, our light, our faith, or one another.  

Do not confuse the two.

For generations, Black women have done more than seek inclusion in spaces that were never built for us—we have crafted, nurtured, and protected our own. These spaces are not just about survival; they are about legacy, power, and healing.

Here’s how Black women have always gone beyond inclusion to build sacred, revolutionary spaces of our own:

1. We Built What We Were Denied

When we were shut out of schools, we taught each other. When we were denied leadership, we formed our own organizations. When the world refused us protection, we became our own shields. We did not wait for permission to exist—we created spaces where we could breathe, thrive, and heal.

2. We Are the Blueprint for Sisterhood & Collective Care

The world wants to convince us that we are strong enough to handle anything alone. But we have always known that strength is in the collective. From the underground railroad to civil rights organizing, from self-care circles to modern-day advocacy—Black women protect and uplift each other.

3. We Have Always Centered Healing & Spiritual Restoration

Black women know that healing is not just physical—it is ancestral, emotional, and spiritual. Our spaces—whether in homes, churches, front porches, or digital platforms—have long been sacred altars where we release trauma, pass down wisdom, and reclaim our joy.

4. We Are the Gatekeepers of Our Own Boundaries

Not every space is for everybody, and that is okay. Black women are often expected to be endlessly inclusive, even when it drains us. But the truth is: our spaces are built for us first. If we must constantly explain, defend, or accommodate, then we are not truly free.

5. We Speak for Ourselves

We have seen what happens when others try to tell our stories—they erase, soften, or misrepresent our truths. No one speaks for Black women like Black women. We are the authors of our own narratives, the architects of our own future.

6. We Have Mastered the Art of Holding Space

A safe space for Black women is more than just a room—it is a feeling, a knowing, an unspoken recognition that you are seen, valued, and understood. Whether through spoken word, digital movements, or whispered prayers, we continue to create spaces where our voices echo without interference.

7. We Pass Down Wisdom Like an Inheritance

Black women’s spaces are intergenerational. Our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers left behind more than memories—they left instructions, survival tactics, and blessings. We carry their strength, and in every space we build, we prepare the way for those who will come after us.

8. We Are Done Shrinking for the Comfort of Others

Our spaces are not meant to make others comfortable—they are meant to make us free. We do not have to soften our truths, overextend our welcome, or dilute our power for inclusion’s sake. We belong as we are, whole and unfiltered.

9. We Will Continue to Build, Protect, and Expand

The spaces Black women create are not static—they evolve, shift, and multiply. Whether through storytelling, activism, digital communities, or real-world sanctuaries, we will continue to carve out places where we are centered, respected, and safe.

“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”

       Ida B. Wells

We are not new to this

Except for Barack Obama, every single president has been a white male.  As we keep teaching, many of them have a long extended history of violence against women and children. Several of them owners of slaves. 

This is not a new reality for us.

Legacy and Impact

From the Civil Rights Movement to lifting women to stand toe-to-toe with powerful and popular white males in historic elections, the tradition of Black women organizing persists. 

Our innovative approaches to advocacy, rooted in intersectionality and resilience, continue to inspire new generations of activists.

Black women have always been more than just members of the communities that we reside in—we have been its architects, builders, teachers, innovators, inventors, and growers.💜

Never forget. 

We owe our lives to courageous mothers and heroes like Ida B. Wells, not the ne’er do wells who just happen to have the privilege to express their opinions on the latest technology. 

Beyond Inclusion: The Legacy of Black Women Crafting Spaces of Strength and Solidarity