GirlTREK

Day 4 of Black History Bootcamp: Ratchet or Respectable? Today, we dive into the powerful, unapologetic legacies of Harry Belafonte & Peter Tosh. These icons challenged norms and demanded respect, embodying both resistance and resilience. Belafonte used his art and voice as a force for civil rights, while Tosh’s raw, fearless reggae was a call to justice and liberation. Are we bound by what’s ‘respectable’—or can we embrace all parts of ourselves, even the ones that disrupt? Tap into today’s episode and decide: Which side of the line speaks to you today—ratchet or respectable?

Today’s episode dives into the strength of choosing sisterhood or solitude, inspired by the iconic Sade. A woman who found her own path, Sade embraced solitude with an eight-year hiatus, grounding herself and honoring her vision of true artistry. Though her friends invited her into the world of music, she made it hers—ensuring her voice was heard beyond her beauty. Morgan and Vanessa reminded us that, especially in challenging times, it’s okay to seek sisterhood or retreat into solitude. As we hold space for the impact of the election news, members joined in prayer, shared scriptures, and lifted each other with wise words. Let today be a reminder: sometimes we need the quiet to hear ourselves, and sometimes we need the warmth of our sisters to heal.

For Day 2 of Black History Bootcamp, we’re honoring Paul Robeson—a man who stood at the crossroads of “radical or responsible” and chose a path that changed history. His life was a series of powerful choices shaped by loss and love, from the early death of his mother to the unwavering support of his wife, who fueled his fight for justice and equality. Paul didn’t shy away from taking bold, unapologetic stands for his people, even when it cost him greatly. He taught us that there is courage in being both radical and responsible, living with purpose and conviction.

Day 1 of Black History Bootcamp, Season 8: Today, we start with the story of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, two Black men who risked it all at the 1968 Olympics by raising their fists in a powerful stand for justice. Their silent protest on the podium echoed the pain, pride, and resilience of a community fighting for equality. As we walk together, we reflect on their courage and ask ourselves: When do we raise a fist in defiance, and when do we open our hand in connection? This season invites us to honor the past while mobilizing for change in our present. Join us for this 21-day journey of strength, solidarity, and healing.

On our walk on Saturday, women from across the country who are in committed and supportive relationships shared their advice on love, in the wake of the trauma that many of us are experiencing because we watched Diddy’s violent attack on Cassie. Take a walk and listen.

Chelsea Johnson, the CEO of Commonsense Childbirth, is walking and talking with Morgan and Vanessa and women from around the world on a special Mother's Day edition of Sisterhood Saturday. Chelsea is the Founder of Commonsense Childbirth and she and her community are rallying with GirlTREK this Mother’s Day weekend as we honor Black mothers and Black motherhood by taking walks dedicated to the women whose footsteps we follow in.

The great spiritual leader, Iyanla Vanzant joins the co-founders of GirlTREK in a powerful conversation about generational healing and walking forward in faith. A must listen for anyone looking for inspiration during uncertain times.

Together we will reflect on our journey together, reinforce and uplift what is important to us, and honor the work of the people who power this movement. Let this be a personal moment of pause and praise for all that you have have personally mastered, learned, and walked through this year.

REFLECTION: Think about control. We control the smells in our homes with incense and plugins. We control bacteria with Lysol. We try to control viruses with vitamin C. We control our babies. We'll burp, we'll reprimand with pinches. When you're at church you get pinched or you get the side-eye from the choir stand. We are good at controlling because we know the past and we’re responsibly fearful of the future. When we thought about self-control and knowing that control has been our superpower, from binding our bellies up to our hair to everything we know, controlling our femininity so that people don’t attack us. We know how to control. When we are trying to control the world around us, it's like a mightiness. It is a tightness, and when you do it for long enough, it is exhausting.    Self-control is knowing now that you have everything in your power because you are divinely connected.    Because all you have is right now. It is not the fear of the past. It is not the anticipation or fear of the future, but it is the power of right now that you can choose every moment of your life to get more and more awake or to fall deeper and deeper asleep. We are here. God has not given us the spirit of fear. Self-control is fearlessness. It is knowing that I have a constant choice every morning. Self-control is the mechanism by which we employ all of the other Fruits of the Spirit.      PRAYER: Eternal, all-wise, all-knowing, loving, matchless, creator, God Lord almighty, you are wonderful. You are loving. You are the beginning, the end, the Alpha, the Omega. You are our everything, Lord God and we love you. We love you Lord, and we lift up our hands to worship you, oh Lord, for our heart longs to be closer and closer to you.    You ask us to bring our prayers and petitions to you so we can tell you right now to give us the power that we need, to give us the love that we need, and to give us the self-control and self-discipline that we need to move and do the work that you have called for us to do.    We ask, oh Lord, that you continue to hide this work within our hearts so that we can continue to be strengthened to move closer to you, so that in those moments where we lack control of our minds, of our bodies, of our thoughts, we can automatically be brought closer to you so that the control we seek you take over for us. Lord God, it's all about your power, your power that gives us courage to do all that you called us to do.    Amen.  "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

You have to know that the calling placed on your life will mean you will have to navigate many rocky terrains, many dark places, facing many attacks, because we wrestle not against flesh and blood. The enemy only targets those who are doing good works. When you face these trials and tribulations, you will feel the urge to quit, to give in, or to act out of your character. That's when faith comes in. Faith is the idea of going beyond your fears and acting on what God has instilled in you. It’s about taking the first two steps and God taking on the rest. It’s about continuing to move forward, because you know that victory is on the other side.    Remember, as adversity comes, know that in the end you will be able to tell your testimony and encourage others to stay faithful.  God, we thank you for protecting us, for answering our prayers. God, we thank you for our faithfulness to you because without that, we can't commit to anything. God, we love you, we honor you, we praise you. We are all making sacrifices, God, and we hope that you see that. It can be daunting to think about even getting out of the bed and doing other things, being a mom, a wife, a sister, a friend. We work every day and try to carve time out in our lives to be healthy, God, but we know that everything that is great is because of you, God. We ask you to give us strength and courage.    Most of all, give us courage to know that we were made for this, we are made to be great, we were made to worship you, we were made to be just in the image of you, God.    We are always going to be careful to give you the praise and the glory, and the honor belongs to you, Jesus. In your name we pray, Amen.