LISTEN HERE, LITTLE BLACK GIRL My cousin Andre sends me texts and DMs and I don’t respond to them out of a combination of anxiety and workaholism. He probably thinks I ain’t paying him no attention but when I read the title of this piece, I hear his voice deeply resonating in my head, reminding me to return to my people. Hi. I hope you’ve been well. I’ve been thinking about you & us a lot. I am returning to this space both fearful and hopeful. I am a Black woman trained in racial justice facilitation, shaped by a foundational career in community organizing. In that pursuit of career, I inserted myself into one of the most beautiful and at the same time unequal systems in our economy: the advertising industry. I have been the only one in the room so much it hurts. I have been the only one in the room, struggling to have a voice and vision understood, making myself sick riding for #theculture. I have contorted myself for a seat at tables that did not want to bust a grape to change. I have put myself in harms way to protect the people I love. I have denied my truths in pursuit of justice. THE TRUTH: We live in a society that prioritizes ease over justice. Justice is hard. Empathy is hard. New systems and processes to make shit more fair is HARD. As a culture worker, I have felt incredibly discombobulated watching how “this” is all unfolding. We are in troubled and magical times. I am here. I am with you. I am with us. I finally learned I gotta be with me first. And I remain incredibly hopeful. I am overwhelmingly grateful for the tender, loving care of @xx_rhiannajones who spent the afternoon creating this piece with me. She modeled for me (yes, big pun!) what it means to have joyful support as a creative. She reminded me that asking for help is not a burden on others. She helped me see the joy in reciprocal creative exchange. “Listen Here, Little Black Girl” is about cutting through the noise of work, culture and the expectations of others to pay attention to ourselves. To create the internal revolution necessary for the strength and clarity on how we show up for the social revolution that we MUST manifest, together. Remember, I Love You.