It's Time For Black Women to Live Without Permission or Apology

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What does it truly mean for Black women to thrive without apology? When 92% of us stood together in November 2024, we weren't just making a political statement—we were declaring our collective worth in a society that has long expected our labor while dismissing our humanity.

The Melanin Unicorn Podcast tackles this powerful truth head-on with a simple yet revolutionary affirmation: "It is safe for Black women to live their lives to the fullest." For generations, we've been told our joy must be earned, our dreams deferred, our safety conditional. We've been the backbone, front bone, and sidebones of America—but at what cost to ourselves? This episode invites Black women everywhere to reimagine what safety truly means. Not just physical protection, but the creation of sanctuaries where our softness is honored, where we're seen without explanation, where fullness becomes our birthright.

Living fully looks different for each of us. Perhaps it's booking that international trip, launching the business you've dreamed about, investing in your financial independence, or changing careers entirely. One listener shared how she pursued her JD part-time while raising children, studying whenever possible until finally walking across that graduation stage. The timeline matters less than the commitment. As your host Kerri reminds us: "We are no longer making excuses. We are doing." This episode offers practical encouragement alongside the spiritual permission many Black women have been waiting for—to expand, take up space, and exist in complete fullness without apology.

Share this episode with your sister circle, your group chat, anyone who needs to hear that they are both the garden and the gardener of their own life. Subscribe to continue this journey of collective healing and joy as we create a world where Black women live out loud.

Episode Transcript

Kerry (00:12):
Hello, hello, beautiful people, welcome back to the
Melanin Unicorn podcast, thespace where we speak life, truth
and joy into the everydayexperience of Black women
everywhere.
I'm your host, Kerry, and todaywe are breathing deep into a

(00:33):
powerful affirmation before webegin today's episode, and the
affirmation is this it is safefor black women to live their
lives to the fullest.
I'm going to say that again itis safe for black women to live

(00:59):
their lives to the fullest.
Let that sink in for a moment,ponder it and now let's start
the show.
Hello, my loves.

(01:37):
I'm popping in, uh, because asI was doing the playback, I
noticed that, um, as I was doingthe playback, I noticed that
when I was talking about acertain part, I said November
2025, but I meant to sayNovember 2024.
Ok, just wanted to pop that inthere.
So when you're listening to itand you hear it, you'll know

(01:57):
that.
Oh, she did say that she madethe mistake with the year.
All right, back to the program.
The mistake with the year.
All right, back to the program.
Today's episode is aptly titledit's Safe to Live Fully.

(02:19):
Or a better title Living OutLoud as a Black Woman.
For generations, black womenhave been told directly and
indirectly, that our joy must beearned, our dreams must wait,

(02:44):
that we must protect ourselvesfrom a world not built to
protect us.
But today, I want to say thisclearly that narrative does not
belong to us.
Us, we are rewriting it,reclaiming it, reimagining a

(03:14):
world where we not only survivebut thrive fully,
unapologetically and withoutpermission, earn our dreams
deferred, our safety conditionalthat we must shrink, that we
must wait, that we must protectourselves from a world not built

(03:35):
to protect us.
But today, I want to say thisclearly, that narrative does not
belong to us.
We are rewriting it, reclaimingit, reimagining a world where

(03:55):
we not only survive but thriveFully, unapologetically and
without permission.
You know, november 2025, forthe 92%.
We were on the right side ofhistory, side of history, and I

(04:37):
awoke from that electiondisgusted and thoroughly,
thoroughly done, so done.
And I thought that I was theonly one that felt that way
until I was on threads and I sawsuch a boldness of the 92%.

(04:59):
I didn't even know that it wascalled the 92%.
I just knew I was done and Ijust knew that I needed to be
within the safety and theconfines of my sisters.
So, on threads, I saw thiscommonality arise the 92%, the

(05:22):
92%, the 92%.
And when you saw the electionresults, you understand that the
92% was definitely speakingabout Black women and I so love

(05:43):
that for us and I felt like Godhad specifically told us to sit
this out, to sit this out forthe next four to five years.

(06:16):
He will handle everything,because for so long black women
have been the backbone, thefront bone and the side bones of
this country, of this nation.
Before us, our ancestors fought, going all the way back.
There was always a resistance,and when I awoke from that

(06:47):
election, when I knew, as somany others knew, that that
election was stolen, that thetrue president is, madam
President, Kamala Harris, and toknow that we have to let that
part go and live on and takecare of ourselves, that means

(07:09):
stepping back and out and notbeing involved anymore.
And I know that for a lot ofBlack women that is not a real
choice for them, that is nottheir reality, and I understand
that.
I understand that perfectly.
But I want you to resist andshut down wherever you can,

(07:38):
because we will not allow and wewill no longer allow this
country to continuously takefrom us.
So I am very proud to see howwe, as black women, have stepped
back and we have focused onourselves.

(08:00):
First, because you cannot pourfrom an empty cup and we are
divinely being taken care of.
Divinely being taken care ofNow.
I'm sorry that I veered off,but I just felt that in my

(08:21):
spirit that it needed to be saidand to know that we are
standing with each other.
We may not be in the same state, we may not be in the same
household, but our spirits arelinked and we are already coming
out on the other side.

(08:43):
So now let's get back to ourepisode.
So living fully looks differentfor every black woman.
Maybe it's booking that trip,launching that business,
laughing loudly in spaces wherewe were once told to be quiet,

(09:08):
wearing those bold and beautifulcolors, resting without guilt,
loving without fear, saying noand meaning it, saying yes and
meaning that too.
And yes, it might be messy,risky, new, but what's on the

(09:35):
other side of that fear?
Freedom, expansion, healing andwholeness.
And let's be real, safetydoesn't always mean an absence
of risk.
For us, it often means buildingour own sanctuaries, creating

(10:07):
spaces, communities,relationships, practices where
we feel seen, held and heard,where our softness is honored,
where we don't have to explainourselves To the black women
listening right now.
I see you, I honor you, I loveyou.
You don't have to shrink tosurvive.

(10:30):
You don't have to proveanything to anybody to earn your
peace.
You and I were born deservingof joy, of softness, of full,
delicious and unfiltered living.

(10:52):
I love that and unfilteredliving.
I love that.
So take up space, love hard,rest deep, dream bigger.
You've been dreaming aboutbeing an entrepreneur.
It's time to put those dreamsinto reality.

(11:15):
Bring them out of the dreamworld, bring them to the
forefront.
You've been dreaming aboutmoving out of the country.
Do your research, of course.
Make sure whatever country orstate that you're looking to

(11:37):
move to to start a new life,make sure that, safety wise, it
is safe for you.
You've been dreaming aboutinvesting, been dreaming about
investing.

(11:57):
There are resources, free andpaid, where you can learn about
trading stocks, saving yourmoney, building nest eggs for

(12:18):
yourself, retirement eggs foryourself, doing all the things
that will bring you joy.
Yes, my sister, do that, becauseit is not impossible.
It is not impossible.

(12:39):
It is not impossible.
It is very possible, and youhave the power and the authority
to make those things come truefor you.
Because, let me say this to you, because, let me say this to

(13:10):
you, because the world may notalways be safe, but you are
allowed to be full anyway, fullof magic, full of beauty, full
of peace, full of rest.
You are allowed to be full andyou are allowed to live your

(13:32):
fullest, your fullest life.
Is there a new career?
You want to go into Research itand move towards it?
Because many of us, we, arechanging careers.
Many of us, the careers that weare now in no longer serve us.
It no longer serves our purpose, and oftentimes it wasn't our

(14:00):
dream to begin with.
It was dreams that were reallygiven to us by our parents,
parent, guardian or ourfriendship circle.
But now is the time to dothings for you, for you.

(14:23):
I have a friend who shegraduated with her JD and that
was something that she alwayswanted.
But she went the other route.
She got her doctorate.
You know, she's married and shehas children.
Her children are in college now, but that's something that she
always wanted to do.
She couldn't do it full time,so she did it part time.

(14:46):
So she studied wherever shecould, when she had to be out
with her children.
At events, she had her studycards.
She did it.
She did it.
And it didn't matter how longit took her.
What mattered was her walkinglast month across that stage to

(15:11):
get her JD.
And that's what I'm telling you.
Do not get caught up in time, donot get caught up in oh.
You know what?
I don't have the space, I don'thave the funds.
You sit down and you make aplan.
You and God make that plan.

(15:32):
He will show you how tostructure it and he will show
you how to go about it.
He will show you how tostructure it and he will show
you how to go about it.
He will show you how to conquerit.
He will show you how to crossthose things off the list after
each completion.
We are no longer making excuses.
We are doing.

(15:53):
Do you understand what I'msaying to you?
My black queens, my sisterqueens, we are in an era where
we can no longer make excuses.
It is go time.
It is go time, okay.
So, before we close, here istoday's affirmation, our ending

(16:18):
affirmation I want you to say itwith me or just let it wash
over you and it is this it issafe for me to expand, it is
safe for me to take up space, itis safe for me to live love and

(16:46):
exist in my fullness.
I'm going to say that again.
It is safe for me to expand, itis safe for me to expand, it is
safe for me to take up space,it is safe for me to live love

(17:15):
and exist in my fullness.
Let's pause right there and letthat sink in to our spirit.
Thank you.
Thank you, and I'm so grateful,always in with thankfulness and

(17:37):
gratitude.
That's it for today, queens.
End with thankfulness andgratitude.
That's it for today, queens, ifthis episode spoke to you, share
it with your sister, yourfriends, your group chat.
Let's keep creating a worldwhere Black women live out loud.
And until next time, keepblooming, keep rising and always

(18:02):
remember you are the garden andthe gardener.
Again, my name is Keri and thisis the Melanin Unicorn Podcast.
I'm going to leave you withpeace, love and your power.

(18:24):
Always, always, always.
Have a great day, make itmagical, make it beautiful, make
it exciting.
Or make it beautiful, make itexciting or make it quiet.
Whichever way you choose to go,know that you are loved and I

(18:49):
love you.
And until next time.
We'll speak soon.