EDITORS NOTE: APRIL
March kind of kicked me in the culito, but I am looking forward to warmer weather! Even though I am starting Spring with a cold at home. I kicked off April by moderating a conversation between the President of bareMINERALS and the Executive Director of Girl Rising, an organization that focuses on the advancement of young girls (up to 18 years old) through education. They share stories of girls from around the world who have been denied education and much more, but when given the chance exceed all expectations. We watched the film and then had a candid convo on why it’s important for us to care about girls and their education, not just internationally but right here in our own back yard.
I cried watching this film because I could not help but think of my mother and how she moved us to the US in search for that American Dream. I think about what would have happened to us if we would have stayed in Venezuela, which is a civil war zone at the moment. I think of who would I have been if I was not allowed to learn to read and write. It seems so basic, but it is so important. I feel privileged and grateful that I get to wake up and pursue my dreams with support from friends and strangers alike.
I realize that this was quite serendipitous for me as this month on the site we are focusing on women from around the world! We want you to remember that this MOB is not just here in the U.S. but that women of color are everywhere, making strides and working on themselves. You’re never alone.
As we look forward, remember to have a global mindset, long gone are the days when we only existed in one place. The internet makes cultures from every corner of every continent accessible and if you’re not able to afford traveling at the moment, I hope you explore it from your local library (wifi ya’know) and manifest the places you want to go to and the women of color you want to encounter. If you do get to travel, remember that is a privilege and don’t waste it away by spending the entire time on your phone. Disconnect. Explore. Talk to women who live there. One of the most moving experiences for me was interviewing the domestic workers in Cuba while I was there for my 30th birthday. It was grounding and also a reminder that if one of us is not ‘free’ from political bs, poverty, and the patriarchy then none of us are free.
If you follow a woc who is international please send them my way via tag or dm! We’ll shout them out! If you have a story to tell about a travel experience where you connected with a woc from another country also let us know by sending us an email to info@thegirlmob.com.
Stay in the light & and always go high.
With love,
Yari
Post photo by Nicoline Patricia Malina, model Zahara Davis, styling Alia Husin mu
