Table of Contents
Foreword Elaine Welteroth 8
The Space We Deserve 10
Coming Home to Ourselves Chloe Dulce Louvouezo 16
Part I Sum of My Parts
Our Stories Affirm Us 20
Hues of Exposure Chloe Dulce Louvouezo 23
Some of Me Eniafebiafe Isis Adewale 28
The Sacred Return: On Answering the Ancestors' Call Lauren Ash 32
The Loveward Journey Gabrielle Williams 37
Legacy Building Lindsey Farrar 43
Between Worlds 47
Melded from Kin Chloe Dulce Louvouezo 48
Twice of Everything Nneka Julia 55
Beyond the In-Between Elaine Welteroth 58
Manifesting Through Aspiration Meryanne Loum-Martin 62
Saudade Lili Lopez 67
Part II Bear Witness
Still I Rise 74
A Pierced Memory Imagined Chloe Dulce Louvouezo 77
Healing Through Joy Deun Ivory 81
Raising My Inner Child Without Fear Morgan Ashley 86
Butterflies Sat Next to My Heart Dydine Umunyana 91
The Current of Adieu 94
Unhealed Wounds Chloe Dulce Louvouezo 96
New Beginnings Adriana Parrish 102
Her Cracked-Open Heart Is Never in Vain Orixa Jones 109
My Father's Smell Offeibea Obubah 113
Part III Peace it Together
If the Heart Could Talk 119
Love After Love Chloe Dulce Louvouezo 120
A Sacred Discovery Alexandra Elle 125
Triumph of a Broken Heart Kalkidan Gebreyohannes 129
Loving All the Pieces of My Heart Esther Boykin 133
Kin and Kindred Spirits Brooke Hall 137
Human Nature 142
Cradled by the Sun Chloe Dulce Louvouezo 144
Recollecting Me Qimmah Saafir 151
Unlearning Strength Josefina H. Sanders 154
Intentional Motherhood, Exceptional Realness Shay Jiles 159
Pivoting to Reinvention Danasia Fantastic 162
Go Forth and Be Dope Julee Wilson 167
Epilogue A Few Nights Under the Moonlight in Bahia Doriana Diaz 170
Afterword With Intention Chloe Dulce Louvouezo 173
Acknowledgments 176
Contributors 180
Photography Credits 192