Phenomenal Womanhood
Mondays have a way of setting the tone for the week, and today, I want to set the tone with a truth that needs no validation: Black womanhood is a phenomenon. A force. A movement all its own.
As a doula, I have the honor of witnessing the beginning of journeys—babies being born, yes, but also women stepping into a deeper knowing of themselves. Birth is the portal, but life is the marathon. And in this Black History Month, my reflections stretch far beyond the delivery room. This is about the daily birth of resilience, the quiet labor of self-discovery, and the ever-present rhythm of triumph that pulses through us.
The old African proverb says, “If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do you no harm.” There is something so deeply affirming about that truth. We have always known how to build fortresses within ourselves. Not from fear, but from knowing. Knowing our worth, our strength, and our ability to make choices that shape our own paths.
Black womanhood is a practice in mastery. It is the fluidity of bending but never breaking. It is knowing when to push forward and when to pause. It is deciding what battles are worth fighting and which ones are better left untouched. It is the ability to walk away from what no longer serves us and step into opportunities that align with our purpose. We do not need permission to be whole. We are born whole. We do not need permission to be loud, soft, bold, quiet, fierce, or tender. We are all of these things at once, and that is our power.
Everywhere I go, I see Black women making choices that define their lives. The mother who chooses to wake before the sun to ensure her child has everything they need. The entrepreneur who takes a leap of faith to create something from nothing and calls it legacy. We walk through this world phenomenally because it is in us to do so.
And so, this Monday, this moment, I challenge you to lean into your own phenomenal nature. Do not shrink. Do not hesitate. Do not question what has already been written into your spirit. Stand tall in the knowledge that you are the dream, the vision, and the answered prayer of those who came before you.
We are here. We are whole. And we are, phenomenally, unstoppable.
Let this be the start of a week where you honor yourself—your beauty, your wisdom, your joy. Walk in it. Live in it. And know that in every step you take, you are walking in the footsteps of giants.
Phenomenal woman. That’s you.
