Shades of Strong
The Blog
Thoughtful reflections and cultural conversations
about support, strength, and being a Black woman.
FROM THE PORCH
Some Conversations Need More Room.
When a conversation needs more than a social post, it usually ends up here. This is a blog for Black women who want more room for thoughtful conversations about support, strength, relationships, family, culture, and everyday life.
At Shades of Strong, the porch is where the longer conversations happen. It’s the place we come back to when something deserves more time, more questions, or a closer look at what Black women are actually experiencing. The podcast, emails, and this blog each bring those porch conversations to you in a different way.
Here, I write about support, strength, relationships, family, culture, and the expectations that shape our everyday lives. Some pieces are personal. Some are cultural commentary. Some begin with something I saw, heard, or noticed and wanted to look at more closely.
You don’t have to read in any particular order. Start with whatever sounds like a conversation you want to have.
LATEST MUSINGS
Read the Latest From the Porch.
Why Love Isn’t the Same as Support
One of the things I’ve noticed over the years is how often Black women use love as evidence that they’re supported. I’ve heard women talk about partners who love them, parents who love them, siblings who love them, adult children who love them,...
What “Soft Life” Conversations Still Get Wrong About Support
Over the last few years, the phrase soft life has become part of so many conversations among Black women. Depending on who’s using it, it can mean slowing down, resting more, setting better boundaries, traveling, choosing peace, or deciding that life...
What Survival of the Thickest Gets Right About Support
There are a lot of things people could say about Survival of the Thickest. They could talk about body image, friendship, dating after heartbreak, or how funny the show is. Those conversations are worth having. But while I was watching it, I kept noticing something...
Why Black Women Don’t Always Recognize They’re Unsupported
Most Black women don’t walk around thinking, I’m unsupported. If you asked us how we’re doing, we’d probably say we’re tired, stressed, juggling a lot, or just trying to make it through a busy season. We have language for feeling...
The Little Girl Still Waiting Inside So Many Black Women
One of the quietest things survival mode does to Black women is disconnect us from ourselves so slowly we barely notice it happening. It usually does not happen all at once either. It happens gradually over time while we are busy handling responsibilities, helping...
A Black Woman Can Look Successful and Still Be Drowning Underneath the Pressure
When Success Starts Hiding the Struggle A lot of Black women have learned how to look okay while carrying unhealthy amounts of pressure. The deadlines still get met.The responsibilities still get handled.The meetings still happen.The goals still get accomplished....
