“To be young, gifted, and black”

AU•DA•C•I•TY

/aw-das-uh-tee/
(n.) courage or confidence of a kind that other people find shocking or rude

Audacity. As in, how dare you? As in, how dare you shine?

Shine like the sun, golden light glimmering off ebony skin, melanin deity

As in, how dare you show up and be educated, the smartest in the room

Brilliant Black Child, how dare you learn and see your genius?

The audacity to inspire.

To command a room with only your presence, and while every eye is on you, use your voice to create and lift others up

The audacity to love yourself.

Chub, stretch marks, curves or thin skin, piercings, tattoos, loving how your body moves, loving all of you. Curly hair in swirling spirals, waves like the ocean, kinky and bouncy, glossy and gorgeous, halo around your head, glowing.

How dare you be fearless?

Turning obstacles into opportunities, knowing your boundaries and pushing past them, not letting anything stand in the way of your greatness.

The audacity to know your worth. Not letting anyone define you because only you decide who you want to be and who you become, not taking the scraps they give you, going out and earning your place, demanding to be treated with the respect you deserve.

How dare you believe?

The audacity of you to dream, to be driven by passion, to find your purpose and what lights your soul on fire, to be an unstoppable force, relentlessly clawing tooth and nail for your aspirations, to be ambitious and achieve your goals.

The audacity of you to resist.

How dare you question what they say? How dare you stand up in the face of injustice, as unmoving as a mountain and as powerful as a hurricane.

The audacity to rise.

To rise to the occasion, rise like dust, rise from the ashes, to rise like a phoenix, a burning symbol of hope and growth.

The audacity to love.

How dare you have love like space? A love infinite and ever-expanding, a heart as big as the ocean with room for everyone, a loyalty and steadfast devotion strong enough to endure anything, a love that can’t be put into words but radiates off of you.

How dare you be charming?

As striking as lightning, as glamorous as a movie star, stunning in sweats, t-shirts, skirts, shorts, dresses, and suits, cute and comfortable. Beguiling in your natural grace. How dare you be witty, funny, clever, handsome and debonair, luminous and ethereal, kind and irresistible?

How dare you be wondrous?

Black Girl Magic, Black Boy Joy, Black Ratchet Imagination, explorer, dreamer, believer, creator, fighter, creative and show-stopping, mysterious and alluring, compassionate and just, truth-seeking and generous,

a life-long learner.

Anything but generic. Skillful and adaptable.

How dare you be yourself?

The audacity of you to take pride in who you are and who you are becoming, to honor your past, and to learn from it. To look and lean into the future and see your best self in all the ways you are, resplendent and extraordinary. The audacity of you to let your courage and aptitude guide your way. To be strong and soft. Faithful and curious. To lift others up but not bring yourself down. To go high when they go low. To be all that you are and show it to the world.

The absolute audacity of you.