Can You See Me? Phenomenal Woman, That's Me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.

I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me

--Maya Angelou

Image Credits:

1. Natural Hair, women in grey--Kriskrüg https://flic.kr/p/5HvSyB
2. African American Woman--William Gantz https://flic.kr/p/cn6jE
3. Thank God for Black Girls--Roel Wijnants https://flic.kr/p/24reg1D
4. Make-Up Makeup--Audrey Xavier Brulu https://flic.kr/p/p5xqDv
5. The Real Black Magic Woman Mrs. Queen Sabine-Sabine Mondestin https://flic.kr/p/bAkoSJ

There Is No Neutrality...

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

– Desmond Tutu


“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

– Elie Wiesel


“Washing one’s hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.”

– Paulo Freire


“The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict…[an individual] who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.”

– Martin Luther King Jr.

It Can Be Done...Mary Frances Berry

"The time when you need to do something is when people are saying it can’t be done."

--Mary Frances Berry, Former chairwoman, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

Mary Frances Berry, Twitter.com

Nurture and Guard These Seeds...Forest Whitaker

"Nurture the seeds of love, equality, social justice, freedom & human rights that are planted into our hearts & minds but too often neglected."
--Forest Whitaker, Award winning Actor, Humanitarian, Philanthropist

The Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) was founded by Forest Whitaker in 2012 to foster peace and reconciliation in disadvantaged and fragile communities in the different regions of the world, including Africa, Latin America and the United States. The non-profit organization working along with other like-minded organizations promote youth empowerment, cultural diversity, continuous learning, capacity building, and access to internet connectivity and digital technologies. Find out more at wpdi.org

I Am...Shirley Chisholm

"I am, was, and always will be a catalyst for change."

--Shirley Chisholm

Present The Best You Possible...Angela Bassett

"Don't settle for average. Bring your best to the moment. Then, whether it fails or succeeds, at least you know you gave all you had. We need to live the best that's in us."

--Angela Bassett, Actress

IMDB.com

Find One Thing...Tyra Banks

"It is important for women to feel beautiful when she looks in the mirror, and I tell women, 'If you don't feel beautiful, find one thing that you can look in that mirror and say, 'That is beautiful.'"

--Tyra Banks