Souls of My Young Sisters:. Dawn Marie Daniels

      SOULS OF MY SISTERS BOOKS

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

       www.kensingtonbooks.com

      Contents

      Foreword

      Acknowledgments

      Introduction

      I. Who Am I?

      Raegan L. Burden—Little Women

      Niyah Moore—A Young Woman’s Cry

      Dee Vazquez—Self-Esteem and Identity

      Floree Williams—Loving Me?

      II. Why Does It Hurt So Bad?

      Sybil Clark Amuti—I Am Free

      Milani Rose—Weathering the Storm

      Ebony Fletcher—Desperation

      Ihotu Jennifer Ali—Fire and Water

      J. Nerissa Percival—It’s Not Over

      III. Fear Is a Four-Letter Word

      Quintrecia Lane—I Am Bigger than My Fears

      Crissinda Ponder—My Father’s Absence

      Jasmine Nicole Gibson—Marked

      Tweetie—Fear Is Not Knowing What Your Calling Is in Life

      IV. Am I My Mother?

      Shampale Williams—Left Behind

      Charon Acevedo—Time to Tell

      Barbara L. Jackson—Motherless Child

      Denika Donahue—Orphan on the Block

      Tinisha Nicole Johnson—Mothers Are Wise

      Latonya P. Story—The Window Within

      V. Is This Love, a Relationship, Marriage, or Just Hooking Up?

      Syreta J. Oglesby—“I Love You. Do You Love Me? Can We Be Friends?”

      Kristen Rogers—Big Country

      Shalena Broaster—Your Mom’s in My Business

      Dr. Ravaughn Williams—Too Good to Be True

      Star Toile Murrell—80s Baby

      VI. Overcoming Life’s Challenges

      Jennifer Lewis—I Am Blessed

      Kayla LaShell Harley—No Mirrors

      Desiree Hulen—Moving Beyond Labels and Boxes

      Robin E. Wilson—The Best Medicine

      Lalah Hathaway—The President of Me

      VII. Isms

      Ashley Foxx—Little Black Miniskirt

      Bianca Payton—The Black Girl

      Nicole Paultre Bell—Thanksgiving Day

      VIII. I’m on Top of My Game

      Rashana Hooks—Goal Digger

      Donja Bridges—Loving the Skin I’m In

      Shamony Makeba Gibson—Dancing My Way to Financial Freedom

      Georgia Woodbine—Running into a Brick Wall

      IX. Got Faith?

      Kimberly N. Cooper—Fear and Faith Can’t Exist in the Same Space

      Diera Shaw—Being Twentysomething

      Nicole Sallis—Deliverance Allowed Me to Discover the Real Me

      Jasmine Jordan—When You Are Down to Nothing, God Is Up to Something

      X. My Body, My Temple

      Samantha Wheeler—Badges of Courage

      Aleia K. Moore—A Second Chance at Life

      Hydeia Broadbent—Luckier Than Most

      Monica Marie Jones—Don’t Wait for the Weight

      Sasheer Moore—Struck with Kindness

      XI. It’s So Hard to Say Good-bye

      Tameka L. Cage—Loving Myself, Releasing Him

      Jessica A. Robinson—I Wasn’t Raised to Run

      Alysia Satchel—Sunrise to Sunset: How My Grandmother’s Strength Reigns in My Spirit

      LaShieka Purvis Hunter—Priorities

      Evelyn L. Williamson—My Sonny Boy

      Resource Guide

      Soul Sources

      Foreword

      When You Honor Your Sister, You Honor Yourself!

      By Mary J. Blige, Founder, and Madeline Nelson-Small, Executive Director FFAWN (Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now, Inc.)

      God help you if you’re a phoenix, who dares to rise up from the ashes.

      —Ani DiFranco

      We first met at a taping of It’s Showtime at the Apollo and we barely said hello. We had traveled similar paths, through childhood. We both suffered mental and physical abuse at the hands of those closest to us from the time we were five years of age. We both grew up with family members and friends we trusted and loved telling us we would never amount to anything. We both had a strong need to fit in, which led us to feeling as if we should not strive for greatness. We both escaped our home lives in our late teens and we both entered the entertainment industry. And, though we had different roles in the world of music, we had very similar