Voice Recovery

Did I Really Mean What I Said In My Last Post? Holding Myself Accountable Literally, 19 minutes ago, I ended a meeting with my fellow staff members at my school regarding white supremacy culture. I did not realize just how much of the things that were discussed resonated with me. Sometimes we can suppress our emotions and memories for so long that we do not even realize that they are still in the storage room of our hearts; waiting to be sorted out, cleaned out, and examined. Before the meeting, I would have sworn up and down that I did not fall into the category of those who deny their experiences in regards to racism and colorism. But now that I am replaying my actions and my thoughts in my head, I may just have to rethink where I say that I stand. I thought that I was so self aware. While it is true that I am the most self aware that I have ever been, I now realize that I am still not fully self aware. It's easier to not think about race consciously. However, I still think about...

 Hello!  My name is Danielle. This is a powerful thing for me because not only am I using my voice, but I am using my authentic voice and attaching it to my real name. In the past, I have taken on many different stage names, characters, and personality traits. The truth was, I  just did not like myself. I desperately wanted to be someone else, even if it meant pretending for a day or two. One early morning, I woke from a dream that I honestly cannot remember. All I know was that I felt compelled to worship God. Yes, I am a Christian by the way. During my worship, God spoke to my heart and told me that He wanted me to use my voice. I used to whisper to God during worship, whether in public or in private. Sometimes, I would sing out loud when in private but because I was so used to not using my voice, I would dislike the sound of it when I heard it and would revert to whispering. God then reminded me of my father and my brother who both have amazing voices but refuse to sha...