So, I've been watching She-Ra (again), and something Angella says really stuck with me.

She calls herself a coward and admits that she allowed others (Glimmer, Bow, Adora, Micah) to be brave for her.

It's got me thinking about who's expected to be brave online and in person.

If I can be real for a moment, I do feel a lot of pressure to be brave and outspoken, much more so than I feel. As if I'm never tired or sick or sad. As if the occasional vitriol I get in response doesn't (shouldn't?) bother me.

It's very rare that anyone acknowledges that speaking up is not some involuntary reflex due to being a Sassy Black Woman. That caricature ain't me. It's a choice that reflects my moral and ethical values.

And it takes a toll. But few other than Black women acknowledge this publicly.

And it makes me...sad. And tired.

Because truthfully, I'd rather NOT have to talk about the same bullshit that keeps happening.

I'd rather talk about my novel. Movies and TV shows I enjoy. Things I want to do with my life while I can. My pets. The weird mystical directions my mind goes in when I'm alone. Ghost stories.

But, no. *sigh*

Can somebody else be brave for a change? Or, at the very least, acknowledge that it's brave to speak out because the more we more we put ourselves out there, the more extreme and vitriolic the responses will get? Can y'all quit leaning on that Strong Black Woman she-mule shit?

Every Black woman I know who speaks up on behalf of her own people or on behalf of others has this unspoken expectation thrust on them.

Like it's so easy to talk about this shit online when there's such a big risk of getting dogpiled, harassed, stalked, or doxxed.

I dunno. It'd be nice to not have to always be the one raising these issues. Or at least be given credit for doing so.