Breaking the Silence

The start of each week brings fresh headlines and trending hashtags that force us to remember our place in a world where we are often overlooked or ignored altogether. We move through a world designed without our inclusion yet we transform it through each brick placed and every laugh shared and protest raised.

There are weeks when our voices find strength through movies that give us more than sidekick roles and athletes who defy the demand to “shut up and dribble,” as well as writers who provide us with words to articulate what remained unsaid for too long. We frequently feel burdened by additional unfair court rulings paired with media bias and everyday insults that accumulate beyond mere microaggressions.

What would happen if we began to loudly express our truths instead of whispering them? What if we became louder and bolder while being unapologetically ourselves? Let's share our voices openly for everyone to witness instead of keeping it to our social media feeds or traditional family gatherings. Posts don't all need to reach TED Talk quality or academic standards because making people think can be as simple as exposing the ridiculous or telling a story that makes people realize new perspectives.

This is our reality: Our existence combines elements of victory and difficulties as well as humor and critique alongside happiness and suffering. Our stories, when we share them without filters or embellishments and in their true form, become a transformative force that reshapes the narrative. Our continuous engagement through talking and writing and showing up demonstrates that we are not mere participants in the conversation but the conversation itself.