This image hit me deeply because so many Black women have watched the women before us survive beautifully while slowly disappearing from themselves. They carried: the children, the men, the families, the church, the bills, the grief, the expectations, the silence. And somewhere along the way many of us learned: “I’ll focus on me later.” Whew. So now we praise ourselves for being: “strong” When really we are exhausted. We call ourselves: “independent” because we learned not to need anybody. We call ourselves: “low maintenance” because our needs have learned to stay quiet. But many of these are survival skills… not traits for thriving. That part. And this is why self-care can feel so unfamiliar for many Black women. Not because we don’t want softness. Not because we don’t desire peace. But because many of us were never taught how to turn inward long enough to actually feel ourselves. Many of our foremothers survived by disconnecting from their own exhaustion, grief, desire, needs, and bodies. Now we are the generation trying to learn: how to remain connected to ourselves while still loving, caregiving, building, nurturing, and surviving. That is deep work. Sometimes resting without guilt is revolutionary. Sometimes learning your needs feels like learning a new language. Sometimes softness feels unsafe before it feels healing. And sometimes the hardest relationship a woman will ever build… is the relationship she has with herself. If this spoke to you, Queendom™ was created for women like us. Not women trying to become perfect. Women learning how to: reconnect to themselves, regulate their nervous systems, soften survival posture, hear their own needs again, and stop postponing themselves. Because survival is not the same thing as being fully alive. #blacktherapist

No deep processing today. Just answer honestly: What’s one thing helping you feel more like yourself lately? A routine. A boundary. A playlist. A prayer. A walk. A therapist. A nap. A lip gloss. A hard conversation. A good cry. Whatever it is… drop it below 👇🏾

Okay, ladies… let’s make this space feel a little more like a living room and a little less like we’re all standing around politely holding our purses 😭😂 Drop 3 things: ✨ Your city/state ✨ What you’re pouring into this season ✨ One thing that currently brings you peace, joy, or softness It can be serious…or it can be “my bonnet, candles, and silence” 😂 We’re just getting settled into the room. And I want us to start seeing one another. 💫

Mothering doesn’t only happen through childbirth. Sometimes it looks like:holding space…protecting peace…loving someone through difficulty…showing up consistently…or learning how to finally mother yourself. This Mother’s Day weekend, we want to hear from you. 💫 Share ONE of the following: ✨ A favorite memory of being mothered✨ A moment when you mothered someone else✨ A lesson motherhood taught you✨ Or what “re-mothering yourself” looks like in this season Pictures, stories, videos, voice notes, journal entries, poetry—however you want to express it. And because this is Queendom… 👑 We’ll be choosing one especially heartfelt/creative post to receive a secret gift. Not for perfection. Not for performance. Just for showing up honestly. We know Mother’s Day can bring joy, grief, gratitude, longing, healing—or all of it at once. So wherever you are emotionally this weekend…there’s space for you here. We can’t wait to read your reflections. — April-Autumn

Whether this was your first brunch or you’re a returning Queen… What is it about these gatherings that made you feel seen? What shifted for you in the room? I’d love for you to put words to your experience—not just for yourself, but for the women who are coming behind you.