Creating and sustaining welcoming, inclusive, and culturally safe spaces should be of utmost importance to those who work in sport. Sporting environments that devalue, invalidate, and attack athletes’ intersectional experiences and identities (i.e., the combination of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) only hurt harm, and direct individuals away from activities that promote physical health and wellbeing.

Cooking, for me, means so much more than a way to nourish myself and others, it’s a space of connection and healing tied to the many moments I shared with my father. On this 11th anniversary of my Father’s passing, I’m dedicating this blog post to my father, William "Bill" Carter: his love for food, and the impact it’s had on me.

I was living the classic Strong Black Woman (SBW) tale and finding myself facing some of the negative consequences. For so long I felt it was good to do for others even if that meant I went without financially, emotionally, and spiritually.

Society’s expectations for how victims process, unpack and heal are grossly ill-informed. The expectation that victims should be ready to confront those that have assaulted them is insensitive and unrealistic. Survivorship is a process. It is not an automatic outcome of being a victim…

The message my father gave me in his dying moments transformed how I interact with the world and myself. Love has become the foundation of my feminism and social justice orientation. It is the way in which I ground myself in this world: love for self, love for others, and recognizing that only through love can we dismantle unjust and oppressive systems.

I selected the word metanoia for my blog because my womanism has been a transformational journey; it has included a series of tough moments, wake-up calls, awesome achievements, as well as learning to be present and available for myself and others. In recognizing and appreciating this, I feel awake and clear on who I am as a womanist, advocate, and sport professional.