Four Years of Chaos or Peace: The Choice Is Ours

Note: I recently started reading Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower, drawn to her prophetic insights. In a moment of numbness today, it inspired me to write this blog post. For a deeper dive into these themes, I recommend exploring Butler’s novels, Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents.

There’s two things promised in our life: change and death.

Change is the constant, the inevitable. It does not wait for your permission. It does not ask if you are ready. It arrives—unapologetic, indifferent, and persistent. Today, as we stand at the intersection of two significant events—the inauguration of Trump and the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day—we are reminded of the enduring struggle for justice and equality. The question is not what will happen next. The question is: What will you do?

We, specifically speaking to Black women, have always known change. We are born into it, shaped by it, and carry it in our veins. We are survivors. But survival alone is not enough. Survival is the beginning, not the end.

See Clearly. Prepare. Move.

The next four years will test us. They will try to push us into shadows, to weigh us down with fear, exhaustion, and doubt. Do not let them. Keep your eyes open. Pay attention to the world around you—not just the loud moments of chaos but the quiet shifts of power that hide in the fine print of laws, the whispers of decisions made behind closed doors. Knowledge is armor; wield it.

Prepare yourself. Not just for the battles you see coming but for the ones you do not. Protect your spirit. Care for your body. Gather your community close. In times like these, isolation can be a trap. Lean on your sisters, your friends, your family. We are strongest together.

And when the time comes—move. Take action. Speak up. Do not wait for permission. There will be those who say, “Wait. Be patient. Change will come.” Remember, they have always said this, and yet here we are, still waiting for the world to make room for us. Do not wait for a world that was not built for you to understand your worth. Build your own.

Guarding Your Energy

The world is full of those who thrive on conflict. They feed off our anger, our hurt, our frustrations. They create chaos not to solve problems, but to keep us distracted. They delight in our displeasure because it gives them power.

Do not give it to them.

Be intentional about where you place your energy. Every battle is not yours to fight. Every insult does not require a response. Every provocation does not deserve your attention. This does not mean silence; it means strategy. Choose your battles wisely. Engage only where your voice can make a difference. Pour your energy into building, not tearing down—into creating the kind of world you want to see, not dismantling the worlds others have already chosen for themselves.

Let them flail in their own noise while you move with purpose. Let them scream into the wind while you plant seeds that will grow for generations. Do not let their chaos become your distraction. You have more important work to do.

Strength in Change

It is easy to despair, to believe the path ahead is too hard, too uncertain. But uncertainty is where growth lives. The world is shifting—yes, it is painful, yes, it is frightening—but it is also an opportunity. A chance to demand more, to create more, to be more.

You will need strength. You will need faith—not the kind that asks for blind trust, but the kind you build with your own hands. Faith in your ability to adapt. Faith in your community’s ability to rise. Faith that even when the world seems to push against you, you are more than capable of pushing back.

Take care of your soul in this time. Feed it. Rest when you need to. Laugh when you can. Give yourself permission to feel joy, even in the face of adversity. Joy is not an indulgence—it is a weapon. It is a reminder that, no matter what happens, the spark inside you cannot be dimmed.

Four Years Is a Long Time—And No Time At All

The next four years will not be easy. But you already know how to do hard things. You have been doing them your entire life. Take each day as it comes, one battle at a time, and remember: Change is the constant. You are the force. The world will shift again, and again, and again.

And when it does, make sure your hands are on the wheel, steady, unshaken, and certain. The path forward is not just about surviving—it is about thriving. So thrive, boldly. Thrive, unapologetically. Thrive, not because the world makes it easy, but because you refuse to do anything else.

Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy

As we reflect on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let us honor his legacy by embodying the principles he championed: equality, justice, and unwavering commitment to the betterment of all. His dream was not just a vision; it was a call to action. Today, we answer that call, not with passive hope, but with active engagement, determination, and the unyielding belief that we can and will shape the future.