I believe most of us grew up with the pressure of feeling we needed to be the absolute best at everything: the best at school, sports, extracurricular activities, socializing, or looking our best. And the main objective to excel at everything was to prove our worth to our parents, teachers, friends, relatives, and basically society…
Tag societal norms
This Is What It Means to Follow Your Dreams Despite Societal Pressures
Bismillah. I’m 29 years old. Shocking, I know. How dare a woman share her age on a public platform? I’ve been through some ups and downs in life. I was a pretty shy and awkward kid. I had a few friends, but for the most part, I kept to myself. I watched X-Men, and listened…
Here’s How I Embraced My Uniquely Black Muslim Identity
Editor’s note: Behold, the ethereal voice of our own, Binta Kane Diallo, ringing proud and true, saturated with that evergreen #BlackGirlMagic: In 5th grade, my fellow 10-year-old Ecuadorian immigrant classmate said that I was “as black as the desk.” They say that people will forget what you said, they will forget what you did, but…
8 Lessons My Husband and I Learned About Ourselves After Traveling Solo
Recently, my husband and I went on separate trips. In some cultures, this may not be a big deal, but in others, it really is. Guess which culture I belong to. As a married couple, people do expect us to do things together all the time, but these separate trips shattered that particular societal norm….