Breaking Stigmas: My Journey as a Confident Advocate

I used to wonder who I would be if it wasn’t for trauma, and then, at some point in my healing journey, I no longer cared. But now I realize I would be exactly who I am today, an outspoken, confident woman with a lot of strength to fight. 

The things people see in you before you realize it yourself are crazy. Still, people have always bestowed the title of advocate on me. From a young age, I have viewed this world as a chaotic chess board and desired to do my part to help restore some order….or necessary chaos. I knew I wanted to make a difference but never viewed myself as an advocate. 

In my youth, believe it or not, I was painfully shy and quiet; I spent a lot of time in solitude observing the status quo of life, and for lack of better words, my young mind knew, “Fuck that shit” we are going to break all the rules when we get grown. But little did I know, I actually would!

I suppose my first act of rebellion began with being outspoken about my period. Being the only girl in most spaces and witnessing the stigma around menstrual cycles infuriated me, from the boys and their ignorant remarks or disgustedness with a natural body function to the poor girls, who felt the need to go through extra measures so they wouldn’t be embarrassed or viewed as irrational due to hormones. I didn’t care how uncomfortable I felt; it was a personal mission to inform every male in my presence about my period, symptoms, and how they should support women. I even encouraged all of the women to do the same, I faced a lot of backlash and resistance, but like I said fuck that shit, I was already in pain; you’re not going to shame me for a natural occurrence, and it’s a core belief, the very least men can do is know in great detail, what happens to a woman monthly. But I never viewed that as advocacy. I have countless examples of being the only one in spaces and speaking up against the status quo of making my identities feel inferior. 

Then, unfortunately, people’s perverted sons made me an SA survivor in more ways than I will ever reveal, and their failed attempt to make me feel powerless fueled the goals of my life. Initially, I was silent, traumatized, and felt lost. But you can’t keep a natural-born survivor down for too long. I found resources, therapy, and support groups to heal from the experiences. In those spaces, I realized I have a lot of power and am very comfortable being uncomfortable. I love to point out the injustices and changes that should be implemented in spaces rather than the status quo. The more I healed, the stronger and louder my voice became. 

As a Black American Muslimah, I advocate for myself daily; I should start listing it as a hobby. I created a platform and a career advocating for people, especially those who share my identity. Not only the outwardly identities, but there’s community in shared experiences and conditions, and I told shame to fuck off a long time ago. This is my era of putting it all together and revealing my power. 

I have elevated my lifestyle, and it’s time to break the status quo of what we learned about cannabis! Through all of my adversity, medical conditions, trauma, and extra scooping of BS; for some reason, I used to believe weed was evil in this world, but the truth is, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t peel back a layer, and say fuck that shit, to another unjust stigma. Because my identities need to know the truth and discover another option to thrive in this world. I will be that outspoken voice to share my truth and experiences that contradict what we have been told. 

In the meantime, you can hear and watch my advocacy and healing journey on IG or TikTok @theafromuslimah and Leafwell.com.