Emelda De Coteau
Latest posts by Emelda De Coteau (see all)
- Dear America – Nothing Will Change Until You Face Yourself - June 19, 2018
- Weekly Devotional: Seeing Miracles Everyday - June 15, 2018
- Weekly Devotional: Learning to Trust God Through the Rain - June 6, 2018
Ever since elementary school, I have stood up against any perceived injustice. Not on a picket line, more subtly I suppose, as my early protesting involved befriending kids others made fun of or ignored.
On the weekends, Dad told my brother and I stories about his life, the years he spent in Hounduras before coming to the U.S. We learned about his childhood, both the simple beauty and abject poverty. Those expressive eyes held a tinge of sadness as he told us about wearing shoes only on Sundays, as they walked to church; they traveled to school barefoot.
I sat there, all of 6 or 7, fully absorbed, unable to push the sentences about hardship back, tears and anger welled within me. Of course he said, “don’t cry,” “I’m fine now, Meldy” (his nickname for me), and yet, as he hugged me tenderly, smelling of cologne and peppermint, I couldn’t shake the heaviness of it all.
Why did I have shoes and clothes and other children didn’t? It felt absurd, cruel and unfair, and I wanted to change something, however small. I always felt a deep desire to transform the world in my own way, bringing light and beauty.
All these years later, I finally feel I am walking into my purpose as an activist, organizer, and cultivator of affirming spaces for women. Sometimes God must remove the noise, distractions and barriers which are hindering us from growth.
And I suppose this is how I have come to work with Black Womyn Rising, an intergenerational organizing collective I helped found with several other sistas based in Baltimore. Our work is intersectional (meaning we seek to understand how various forms of oppression operate and impact black womyn and girls), and rooted in transformative love and global sistahood.
We are deeply concerned with resisting all forms of oppression and actively creating affirming spaces for womyn of color. In the spirit of Nina Simone and so many other foremamas, we uplift the beauty, complexity and the rich layers of blackness.
While social justice and activism are a deep part of my soul, so, too, is creativity. Writing, photographing, sketching, these outlets are oxygen for me. Last year I founded Women Creatives Chat, a community that lives online for now (working on planning some events) whose mission is to inspire, empower (through tips, resources and regular Instachats), and connect my fellow creatives with one another.
Since launching on Instagram late last year, it’s growing daily. And I feel blessed to follow and connect with women from all around the world who are creating and trusting their unique visions. You and I truly can have the life we seek and dream about it. It begins with clarity, which I believe is rooted in prayer, a personal relationship with God and radical self love.
Anyway, enough about me! What sets your heart on fire? What do you feel called to give to the world? I want to hear all about it in the comments below, sweet friends.
