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I'd Just like to Say...

BLACK WOMEN

I am a black woman, in black skin that I love. I would not have it any other way. Black women come in many different shades and being a native of Louisiana where skin shades range from white (passé blanc) to purple black (the color of blackberries), I want to believe I have seen most of the shades of black women. I don’t know about other black women, but for me being a black woman is exciting and mysterious. We intrigue men of all races. As a black woman, I am aware of the fact that I have to do everything well and go above and beyond what is expected of me. It has always been that way for the black race. As black women we fulfill many roles. To our children we are their mother, role models, a friend, the father when the father is absent in the home, a nurse when our children are sick, the teacher. To our men folk we are the wife, listener and a friend. But most importantly we must always stay in sync with our Creator. When God created black women He created a great thing. Black women from Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Maya Angelou, Donna Brazile, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama to the women in my life my grandmother Victoria Reado, my mother Ophelia Brown Every, my aunt Anna Every, Carolyn Waldon. Jacqueline Brown-Battle, Bertha Davis, Pamela Hammond, Melvina Sumter and Jacqueline Sharpe have paved the way for me to run and see what the end is going to be. From activists to educators, these women have inspired and ensured me that if you have a will you can make a way. As black women it is our job to go to God and intercede on behalf of our husband, children, friends, relatives and the church. Our day begins in the early morning and end when everyone else is fast asleep. It is imperative that we uplift our black sisters and stop gossiping and hating on each other. How do you expect other races to embrace us and view us women of worth-when we fail to do so? Anything your sister has-you can have also. It’s called work for it. I don’t care what color you are no one is going to give you anything. It is essential that we stop living in the past. You may have been raped, abused as a child, your man left you, your children are incarcerated-but you are still here. And that speak volumes to me. Because you are still here you are a black woman that is a survival. As black women we are born with survival skills. It is in our DNA. It is our role as black women to teach our girls about what is appropriate and acceptable behavior. We must also teach our black girls about respect and love. Our girls can’t do what they don’t know. On today in honor of black history month, I salute and applaud all black women, from my past to the present, for the roles they have played in my life and the greatness that is within them. You all inspire me.

Peace and Blessings,
Alfreada Brown-Kelly

7/11/2012

Decrees and Declarations of Authenticity
Growing up in Louisiana, I was taught that receiving an education is valuable. However, if you attended a top Ivy League school and received the highest degree in academia, but you do not have common sense, you will not be able to function in society. My mother, my elders and the Bible have taught me many things. This book is only a minute sample of phrases that have impacted my life. The title of this book, Decrees and Declarations of Authenticity, simply means that I am decreeing and declaring my opinions of the following phrases. Again, these opinions are mine.
Peace and Blessings
Alfreada Brown-Kelly

Alfreda Brown-Kelly

A Synopsis for My Thoughts and Prayers:

As I journey through life, I have been on numerous journeys and I have had the privilege of meeting people who have touched my heart. Some of the people I have met have enriched my life and inspired me to soar, while others have literally broken my heart. My Thoughts and Prayers is a compilation of my two poetry books, The Skin I Am In and Transformation of The Mind, Body & Soul. This is poetry that comes from my heart and soul.

Peace and Blessings,
Alfreada Brown-Kelly