You Have Every Right to Be Beautifully Represented

Photo by Dylan Hunter

✦ [SurvivorAffirmations.com] ✦

Dear Survivor,

You have every right to speak your mind about how you are represented.

Your story.
Your image.
Your spirit.
They are not props.
They are not to be distorted, mocked, or made smaller to fit someone else’s limited imagination.

You are beautiful—no matter your size, shape, tone, or texture.
Your body is not a mistake.
Your face is not up for critique.
You are not here to be debated.

But let’s be honest:
Statues are meant to be things of beauty.
And you, beloved, are living sculpture.
You carry legacy in your walk and power in your presence.
You deserve to be adorned, cherished, uplifted, and seen with reverence.

So when people portray us—Black women, Survivors, warriors of resilience—
they need to do it with love, with care, with intention.
Or they need to leave it alone.

Because your image is sacred.
Your representation matters.
And your visibility should never be reduced to someone else’s version of “raw,” “real,” or “rugged,” unless you chose it for yourself.

You get to say:
“This is how I want to be seen.”
“This is the light I want to shine in.”
“This is my truth—and it deserves beauty.”

Demand that your image reflects your glory.
Because it does.
And it always has.

With love, light, and honor,
✦ Survivor Affirmations ✦