A Visitation
In 2019, I wished to commit to deeper self-accountability & better organization. The planners on the market were problematic! Too white & cutesy, or the pushy “man” planners, low-key toxic. The “Black girl” planners were flimsy, with their lavish "you go, girl" covers, yet generic, every-page-the-same insides.
As the saying goes, if you don't see what you want, make it yourself.
On Christmas Day, 2019, I was visited by a foremother force saying, “Tell my story.” I bolted out of bed, thinking about my own grandmother and all the things I would have asked her if she were still alive. Within a few weeks, I had collected profiles of many inspiring Black and other Women of Color in U.S. history. Our intersecting stories felt very resonant, and so necessary to uplift, know, and celebrate! Read more about The Story of Brave.
Launching Brave Sis
In the midst of a pandemic year, we launched a 300% successful Kickstarter and sent our 2021 Journey-Journal into production. From our first pressing, the Journey-Journal found its way into a community of thousands of Brave Sisses in eight countries, encouraged by the idea of inner reflection, celebration, and de-centering a default, whiteness Master Narrative, particularly around wellness and women’s agency. As we built the brand, we began to understand who a Brave Sis was:
- A Black Woman using history to better know & love herself—& other Women of Color.
- A Woman of Color embracing story & intercultural joy.
- A white woman entering a circle of learning, de-centering & celebration.
- Women & Womxn who dare to be brave.
- Us changing ourselves & the world.
Read more about Trusting your Inner Voice
My mother Florence and grandmother Alice, 1970s Alice (Lala) is the original Brave Sis
Engaging, and Changing Lives From the Start
The generosity of the community enabled us to provide free copies to nonprofits serving women and girls all over the U.S. The mission began to expand: From Me to We to All.
Unlike many other experiences in the wellness space, which often begin and end with the individual, Brave Sis leans towards a movement of inclusive sisterhood and justice. The Journey-Journal can serve as a tool for you to connect to a foremother force beyond yourself, to “bond” with women who may not look like you, or have your life experience, to be inspired and encouraged by those who faced immeasurable hardships and yet made a difference.
It is this pathway of deeper understanding of self and community that can play a part in changing the world!
Year Two and Beyond
What’s Next? In addition to the 2022 Journey-Journal, which features over 400 women in a dayplanner/guided journal format like no other in the marketplace, we are thrilled that Workman Press will release our book in March, 2023: Brave Sis: Celebrating Our Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous Foremothers—with Activities to Inspire Our Own Creativity and Growth.
We also continue to build the brand through provocative speaking and teaching sessions touching upon authentic allyship, and personal wellness. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more developments, and visit our store to purchase the 2022 Journal and other merch that shows off your Brave Sis spirit.
Thanks for being part of it!
