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12 Reasons Lauryn Hill Deserves More Respect for Her Impact on Music (w/affirmations)
updated from March 2026
The only reason that men question Lauryn Hill's
accomplishments
is because they can't find a way
to take credit for them.
Lauryn Hill was never just an artist.
She was a creative center of gravity. [...]
10 Ways to Reconnect with Yourself (The 1980s Way) w/ Affirmations
10 Ways to Reconnect with Yourself (The 1980s Way)
If you want to step away from the digital noise and tap into that grounded, authentic energy of the analog era, try these ten real-world practices:
1. Curate an Intentional [...]

The Phenomenal Phyllis Hyman, Institutional Betrayal, and Affirmations for Your Own Battles
Sometimes it isn't 'imposter syndrome.' Sometimes institutions just want you to be something that you are not because it is easier for them. But is it easier for you?
The Life & Voice of Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis Linda [...]
The Architecture of Sound & Soul: Celebrating Marlena Shaw This Black Music Month
When we talk about the giants of Black music, certain household names instantly clear the room. But there is a specific, sacred tier of artistry occupied by women who did not just sing music—they anchored it. They gave it gravit [...]
India.Arie Sings “I Am Light”: Plus 10 of Her Affirmations
"I Am Light" — India.Arie
The Vibe: A holy, minimalist prayer. Stripped down to just acoustic guitar and vocals, you are not your pieces—you are divine light.
India.Arie is something rare for today. A consistent, radia [...]
10 Times Black Artists Forced Innovation to Find Its Soul
The Architecture of Innovation
Black music has never merely adapted to the future—it has constructed it.
When we celebrate Black Music Month, it is easy to look backward with nostalgia, romanticizing a history of raw talent an [...]
Survivor Affirmation: For Chaka Khan, Bold Enough to Remain Herself
Chaka Khan has never moved through the world like a woman asking to be watered down.
Her voice has heat in it. Fire. Velvet. Thunder. A little church, a little street, a little cosmic storm. She sings like somebody who knows [...]
Black Music Month, Bay Leaves, and the Pages That Hold Our Stories
Some traditions are loud.
A choir lifting a song.
A drum carrying memory across generations.
A family reunion filled with laughter.
Other traditions are quiet.
A woman sitting at her kitchen table before sunrise.
A n [...]
Seeking Care Safely After Harm: Language for Survivors and Providers
Many Survivors have told me some version of this:
"I knew something felt wrong. I just didn't know what to call it."
That is more common than people realize.
You do not need perfect words to deserve help.
You [...]
Survivor Affirmation: For Patti LaBelle, the Beautiful Assertion
Before the world knew her as Patti LaBelle, she was Patricia Louise Holte, a girl from Philadelphia with a voice that could rise from the church floor and shake the rafters loose.
Then came the name: LaBelle.
Beautiful.
[...]
Survivor Affirmation: For Opal Lee, Who Walked Until the Nation Had to Remember
Some people wait for permission.
Opal Lee did something older, wiser, and stronger. She walked.
She walked with history in her bones and freedom in her feet. She walked for Juneteenth when many people treated it [...]
Black Classics Reading List Created by Chelsea Yvonne
In the spirit of Juneteenth, free your mind!Â
These Black literary classics are worth a read or re-read.Â
Gratitude to Chelsea Yvonne for compiling this list of all-time greats.
🌤️ Clarity After Chaos [...]

Hidden Black Film Herstory: Stompin at the Savoy | Directed by Debbie Allen
Sometimes Black women’s films are praised for being “nice,” “nostalgic,” or “beloved,” while the craft gets undercounted. Stompin’ at the Savoy was not just charming. It was skilled. It was layered. It had emotional architecture [...]

For the Hate Crimes Prevention Act: Affirmations for Black People Carrying Too Much Hate from Too Many Directions
racism chases us down for miles.....
On this day, the anniversary of The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 28, 2009. It expanded fede [...]
Emotional Bandwidth: Why You Sometimes Can’t Be There for People You Love | Dr. Tracey Marks
Emotional bandwidth explained: why cognitive load and stress make empathy harder, and why low bandwidth looks like emotional unavailability in relationships. Take my FREE 3-min Brain Quiz to master focus & [...]

A Juneteenth Reflection for SurvivorAffirmations: Not a Bill. A Bridge.
Some of us grew up hearing about sacrifice in ways that hurt.
“I did everything for you.”
“After all I gave up.”
“You owe me.”
Those words can land heavy in the body when love has been tied to guilt. Survivor [...]

10 Facts About Lift Every Voice and SING!
So my childhood was spent learning this song. We sang this and other songs like it for assemblies. I get out into the world and learn not only have others not heard the song but they see it as "hateful"?
Me: But you don't kn [...]

There Are Souls Beyond the Scoreboard: A History Lesson in Hope, Radio, and Second Wind (podcast episode)
We are not living in the time of afterschool specials, radio dedications, and songs that reached through the static to touch a hurting child’s heart.
So sometimes we have to borrow from the past.
We have to go back to song [...]

Before You Yell “Cocaine,” Learn What 1980s Black Joy Looked Like
The adults around us didn't even have "McDonald's money" when cheeseburgers were four for a dollar. How do you figure everyone had "cocaine money?"
I get it. You see the far less expensive gas, housing prices, and food prices [...]

Dr. Tracey Marks: People Who Drain You vs. People Who Energize You
Why do some people calm your brain while others drain it? One of our favorite psychiatrists, Dr. Tracey Marks, explains how your nervous system regulates with safe people—plus a simple body check.
[...]
AFFIRMATIONS AND SELF LOVE
🕊️ Affirmation Post: “They Didn’t See, But I Survived Anyway”
A voice for the ones who were never rescued, but rescued themselves.
They didn’t see me.
Not when the harm was loud.No [...]
HEALING JOURNEY
How Survivors Intentionally Silence Self-Doubt
Self-doubt can be sneaky, but it doesn’t have to control your life. Here’s how you can silence it and step into your power:
1. Challenge the Nega [...]
8 Lessons for Survivors from the Film Mi Familia
I first saw this film back when walking down the aisles of Blockbuster on Friday nights was hot.
I picked up the case, saw a lot of my favorite acto [...]
Surviving Is Still Sacred—Even If They Clap for the Wrong Person
SurvivorAffirmations.com | Inspired by WeSurviveAbuse.com
You saw them cheer.You heard the applause for the one who harmed someone.You watched them [...]
Holistically Rah | Why the Closest People Sabotage Your Healing (And What to Do About It)
Why do the people closest to you sabotage your healing? This powerful video exposes the hidden reasons behind their resistance—fear, control, and proj [...]
12 Free eBooks to Support Your Somatic Healing Journey
Dear Survivor,
They are playing in your face by making you explain. And explain. And explain. Forget them.
All these folks running around protecti [...]
CONFIDENCE/POWER/RESILIENCE

18 Things You Didn’t Know were Invented By Black Women
Just because some people try to keep you unsung doesn’t mean your melody is lost. “Innovation is my inheritance, and I multiply it daily. [...]

From Shame to Strategy: How to Train Your Brain to Fail Smarter
 Learning about shame is so important. I've personally seen shame drive people to their very end.
Learning about shame is a life saver.
[...]

Radical Self-Love Is Resistance
✦ [SurvivorAffirmations.com] ✦
Dear Survivor,
Loving yourself—fully, loudly, and unapologetically—is a radical act.Especially when you’re surround [...]
Survivor Affirmations: I Choose To Walk Away from What Tries to Shrink Me
There is strength in walking alone when the crowd demands your silence.It takes courage to leave the circle when the cost is your voice.But silence bo [...]
HEALTHING JOURNEY
9 Quotes from Maya Angelou to Nourish the Survivor’s Soul (Part 1)
Updated for 2025
🌿 For the Survivor’s Journey
1. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
2. “You alone are eno [...]
Seeking Care Safely After Harm: Language for Survivors and Providers
Many Survivors have told me some version of this:
"I knew something felt wrong. I just didn't know what to call it."
That is more co [...]
Aiyana: 9 Reminders for Survivors
Aiyana: eternal bloom; ever blooming
9 Gentle Reminders for Survivors by Tonya GJ Prince [...]
✨ Protecting Your Aura: Setting Boundaries with Toxic People
Some people drain the life out of every room. They thrive on chaos, belittling, and control. And when you are a Survivor, you already know the cost [...]
She Is AMAZING
Mama I Love You: Women Are Amazing, Unique, and Special!
Tyron Woodley’s mother congratulates Kamaru Usman at UFC 235
Â
"It's all good, baby. It's all good. It's your turn. It [...]
Gratitude to the Humanity of Lynn Jones: When “Professionalism” Is Used as a Shield
Now why are you all (journalists) behaving like toddlers?
We had a toddler visit us and I forgot what it was like.
I accidently sat on Mickey (t [...]
Inspired by Survivor Viola Davis: You Don’t Need Perfect Weather to Bloom
Some flowers wait for sunshine.Others learn how to grow toward the light
even while clouds remain overhead.
Gratitude to a shining star....Viola Da [...]
🌿 Halimah Yacob: She Was Not Handed Ease. She Built Something Anyway.
Halimah Yacob did not begin life surrounded by comfort.
She lost her father young.Her family struggled.There were real limitations. Not imagined ones [...]
ART HEALS
Meryl Streep: I AM Built from Endurance Not Approval
I am built from endurance, not approval. What lasts in me cannot be taken by time or opinion. [...]
The Lie of “Not Enough Trained People”: What Martin, Motown, and Black Representation Already Proved
There is an old lie that keeps getting dressed up as wisdom.
It says Black communities do not get full representation because there are not enough “t [...]
Living in Truth in a Loud World: The Courage to Stand Tall
There was a time when a singer could stand on a stage, look out at the world, and sing a line that would echo for generations:
“I did it my way.”
Th [...]
JOURNALING/WRITING IN A HEALTHIER WORLD
WE Survive Abuse Podcast

















