"A time comes when silence is betrayal.” Martin Luther King Jr, Beyond Vietnam, Riverside Church, New York, NY

These words spoken almost 60 years ago loudly sound the alarm to many who allow silence to hide behind politeness or fear. King did not speak those words casually or aimlessly. He spoke these words in a moment when telling the truth carried political, professional, and personal risks. He called silence a breach of conscience.

For many Black women of faith, King's words hit close to home. We have been taught that silence keeps us safe, faithful, and acceptable. We have been told that quiet endurance is strength and that speaking up is trouble. However, there comes a point when what we do not say begins to work against our own lives. That is the point King was naming, and that is the point many women are standing at right now.

I built UnMuted Voices as a response to betrayal that happens slowly, when women learn to betray themselves to survive systems that benefit from their silence.

Silencing is not accidental. It is learned. It is reinforced. It is often spiritualized. Over time, it becomes what I call the Silencing Syndrome: the pattern where women are conditioned to hold back truth to maintain access, approval, or safety. It shows up across four interconnected pillars: Personal, Psychological, Cultural & Social, and Institutional. Together, they explain why silence can feel so hard to break, even when it is costing you your life force.

Personal Silencing: When You Learn to Disappear

Personal silencing happens when a woman begins to minimize her own needs and instincts. She edits herself before anyone else can. She tells herself it is not worth it. She convinces herself that staying quiet is the mature choice.

It often sounds like:

“I’ll deal with it later.”

“It’s not that deep.”

“I don’t want to make this a thing.”

Over time, this becomes self-betrayal. You abandon your own knowing to avoid conflict. King’s words loudly scream here because silence at this level is not harmless. When you repeatedly silence what matters to you, you slowly lose touch with yourself.

Psychological Silencing: When Fear Sets the Rules

Psychological silencing lives inside the body. It is fear shaped by experience. It is the memory of what happened the last time you spoke. It is the awareness that truth has consequences, especially for Black women who are often labeled, dismissed, or punished for naming what others prefer to ignore.

This pillar sounds like:

“If I say something, I’ll lose my position.”

“They’ll call me angry.”

“I don’t want the backlash.”

This is not imagined fear. It is learned caution. That is why healing silence is not about confidence alone. It is about restoring safety in the body and rebuilding trust with your own voice. Without that work, silence feels like protection, even when it is betrayal.

Cultural & Social Silencing: When the Script Is Clear

Cultural and social silencing comes from expectations about who you are allowed to be. It is the pressure to represent well, keep family business quiet, hold the church together, protect men’s reputations, and stay strong no matter the cost.

It often sounds like:

“Don’t say too much.”

“Handle it quietly.”

“Be strong.”

“Be respectful.”

The problem is that strength becomes a muzzle. Black women are praised for enduring what should never be required. Silence is framed as loyalty, while truth is framed as disruption. King’s warning cuts through this. Loyalty that demands your silence is not loyalty. It is control.

Institutional Silencing: When Systems Enforce Quiet

Institutional silencing shows up in churches, workplaces, schools, and organizations where speaking honestly leads to punishment. It is embedded in policies, leadership culture, and power dynamics.

It looks like:

Being passed over after naming a concern.

Being labeled “not a good fit.”

Being told to stay in your lane.

Being disciplined for speaking truth while harm continues.

In faith spaces, this silencing often disguises in scripture and spiritual language. Women are told that naming harm is divisive, that leadership belongs to men, and that obedience requires quiet. Frankly, I do not believe silence is the measure of faithfulness. I believe truth is the measure of faithfulness.

Silence as Betrayal

When King named silence as betrayal, he was not only talking about public policy. He was talking about moral responsibility. There is a moment when staying quiet no longer protects your integrity. There is a moment when silence aligns you with harm rather than justice.

Many women feel this in their bodies long before they name it. It shows up as exhaustion, resentment, grief, and a quiet rage turned inward. What looks like burnout is often the weight of truth held too long with no release.

Silence can look calm on the outside while everything inside you is shutting down.

Becoming UnMuted

Becoming UnMuted does not mean speaking without wisdom or care. It means refusing to betray yourself to keep systems comfortable. It means learning how to tell the truth in ways that honor your safety, your call, and your growth.

Sometimes voice looks like:

Saying no without explanation.

Naming harm clearly and calmly.

Asking the question no one wants to ask.

Correcting the record.

Leaving spaces that require your silence to stay.

Sometimes your voice is a boundary.

Sometimes it is a decision.

Sometimes it is your departure.

My womanist ways teach me that your voice is not optional. Your voice is survival. Black women’s voices have protected communities, challenged power, and told the truth when silence was demanded. Our voices carry memory, wisdom, and witness.

You do not have to disappear to be faithful.

You do not have to stay quiet to be safe.

You do not have to shrink to belong.

An Invitation

If King’s words stir something in you, pay attention. That stirring is information. It may be the place where silence has started to feel like betrayal.

UnMuted Voices exists for women standing at that edge. It exists for women ready to stop betraying themselves and start telling the truth with care, clarity, and courage.

Your voice is not the problem.

Your silence may be.

And there comes a time when choosing yourself is not rebellion. It is a responsibility.

Dr. Sherri The UnMuted One