The Power of Saying "No"

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Naomi Osaka. Simone Biles. What do they have in common beyond their elite athletic achievements? They’re the latest in a growing number of Black women who’ve publicly pushed back against an unrelenting narrative that minimizes their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing––their</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">humanness.</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Erica celebrates the power and courageousness of invoking the word NO! in a world that continues to label Black women as both too much and never enough.</span></p> <p><strong>In this discussion:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Acknowledging Black exhaustion</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Unpacking internal resistance to saying “no”</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Amplifying our worth and value as people, not commodities, out loud</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Reclaiming our autonomy related to our physical, emotional, and mental well-being</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Creating safe spaces for ourselves and others to own their “no”</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Witnessing Black women and honoring us in our everyday existence </span></li> </ul> <p><span style= "font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> ***</span></p> <p>Visit the website for the full articles at <a href= "https://www.pauseontheplay.com/show">https://www.pauseontheplay.com/show</a></p> <h2><strong>KEEP THE DIALOGUE GOING</strong></h2> <p><strong>Explore worlds outside of your normal, witness and honor the beauty of alternative versions, and learn by example how to live out loud.</str