“Black women can do anything, and we have proven that time and time and time again” – Tarana Burke.

Historically and generationally, many African American women are raised to exhibit the epitome of strength. They are trained to be self-reliant and confident. They are often expected to be the provider, the homemaker, the counselor, and the caretaker. Being a strong black woman, in most cases, is viewed as a badge of honor. There are some downsides to this classification, and they are rooted in what are often the overwhelming expectations of prioritizing everyone else’s needs above our own. 

In episode 3, The Strong Black Woman Syndrome, Elaina, and Tracy discussed the traits of strong Black women. What are the qualities that have made these women such as Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Maya Angelou, and for some of us your mothers and grandmothers so special? What are the consequences of being a strong Black woman? Elaina and Tracy have explored the individualities commonly used to define a strong black woman and how these expectations affect one’s mental well-being. This episode was also joined by the Hope Warrior Project team to share their success journeys with us. 

When we think about strong black women, the expectation of even being identified or labeled as a strong black woman, it’s a badge of honor, and but it’s almost a curse at the same time when we say, strong black woman, we’re talking about the woman who is expected to juggle multiple roles, the mother, the wife, the lover, the student, the friend, the therapist. 

We’re expected to be self-reliant, self-contained, and we’re supposed to be self-sacrificing in a sense, meaning we put everyone else’s needs above our own, and we keep going even when we know we need to stop. 

Elaina said it takes strength to be vulnerable. It takes strength to ask for help. It’s okay to be strong, and it’s also okay to seek help and be vulnerable, there’s no shame in doing so. 

Elaina introduced The Hope Warrior Project, which is a community that helps women identify their strengths, and they create togetherness. They have a fabulous Hope Warrior Academy, where they go through different books, mindfulness activities, and connect them to their lives and learn different strategies of coping with life and being vulnerable. 

And we have to learn how to put our needs first because if we’re not filling our buckets, then we’re not going to be able to give to others and the things that we’re trying to accomplish, we’re not going to see the results that we’re trying to obtain if we’re not taking care of ourselves.

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