*TRIGGER WARNING*

I recently started seeing instagram photos which are part of a new challenge for women to show support for each other. So basically what it requires is a female friend to nominate you to post a photo of yourself, which you post, which then shows that they support you. This is indeed a positive social media trend that I believe is needed - especially with our females on social media While it's refreshing to see a positive social media trend among women, it does make you question why women supporting each other is even a challenge to begin with?

Why doesn't she eat anything? Is she hurting herself on purpose? She probably just wants attention.

The other day while I walked to work, I deliberately slowed my pace to allow time for my left hand to lightly graze the brick wall I was passing. I watched as my fingers ebbed and flowed through every groove and imperfection. There was a familiarity to this. Perhaps it was the texture, perhaps the grit. Either way, memories emanated as I was no stranger to brick walls. Over the years as I pursued a career in medicine, my hands had gotten quite used to dismantling them.

I understand that we are currently facing many challenges; however, I wanted to talk about an issue that has been weighing heavily on my mind. As the 2020 presidential race heats up, I feel the need to start a conversation regarding the sexual assault accusations against presidential nominee Joe Biden. I am not here to, nor will I, offer my opinion as to whether I believe he is guilty of the accusations. Individuals who are in support of Joe Biden, who also happen to be supporters of the #MeToo movement, have raised several legitimate issues against his accuser except for one. It is this issue that I want to address. Supporters of Biden, and under similar circumstances supporters of supreme justice Kavanaugh, appeared to doubt the truth behind the victim’s account due to the fact that they remained silent on the alleged attacks for several years. They claim to find it suspicious that the women are just now coming out with these accusations when the accused is seeking a position of importance and authority. With that being said, women’s right advocates have provided numerous explanations, all backed by scientific research, as to why a woman would remain silent. In some instances, it is because it happened during a time when women were not taken seriously. In others, it is due to fear of repercussions, being accused of making a false accusation, ostracization, humiliation, and so on. Perhaps they did speak up and were silenced by the accuser? These are but a few examples that need to be considered.

This is according to a report published in the US-based news outlet Telegraph. Wade is a British physicist. He has created 620 articles on Wikipedia over the past two years. Almost all of which are related to the biography of the person. Wade’s main complaint is that the administrators and editors of the English Wikipedia have unfairly identified many of the articles he writes about women as unfit for Wikipedia.

I became aware of my blackness when I was in the 8th grade; oh, excuse me, I became aware that I was African American in the 8th grade. It seemed as though a great majority of the black kids I grew up with in school discovered their ethnicity that year. You see, I started to hear things like "I'm not black, I'm Jamaican." or "I'm only half black, I'm mixed with..." or even "My family is from Ghana, but I was born here. I'm African, but not African American."

^^ In the photo above is Mehnaz who, after having had one son and six daughters, had to have 3 abortions in fear that she would give birth to more girls. Her husband had threatened to throw her out of the house if she gave birth to yet another girl, which led to her self-administering herself with toxins including tablets and brews of boiled dates, as well as purposefully lifting heavy things in order to have an induced abortion. This is just one story, but there is most likely so many other stories that are similar to Mehnaz's, not just in Pakistan but in other parts of the world too.

Let's start off with what The Letter project is.

I love where I work. It’s a great company that takes care of their employees and treats them like family. They have given me great opportunities to grow in my new career, even though I have only been employed there for a few months. I have a career in vehicle service at a car dealership, a field that is mostly done by men. No big deal to me, but I get comments quite often about how “It’s great to see women working here.” I take that as a compliment because it makes me feel accomplished. I get those nice compliments from mostly women. I think that is because they can establish trust easier with another woman versus a man, but I may be mistaken. Most of my male customers have been very nice to me and treated me with respect, minus a select few. Usually I can handle this disrespect from customers no problem, but the other day we had a situation that I will never tolerate: sexism towards me and another one of my female co-workers.

I’ve closely watched the narratives for weeks now, and I’ve noticed the beauty in reimagining what a “hero” is on this virus-ridden planet. The selfless care of nurses, the unwavering strength of some protesters, and the thoughtfulness of teachers have all had an audience willing to thank them for what they are doing for others in need. By these unwritten rules, this should include three Black women who personified care, compassion, and strength before they were killed in a country that failed to fully exchange these same qualities to them. Breonna Taylor, Erica Garner, and Atatiana Jefferson. DISCLAIMER: I am not here to ask for chaos. But, I’m willing to respectfully check people who plead for fairness, while cashing out on forgetfulness when it involves Black people. Remove all racist stipulations and dive into your imagination with me, and imagine a nation, truly consistent in praising people who give their all to bettering our world.

"I believe you."