Dr. Sherri at King Monument, Washington D.C., July 21, 2017 "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...

From Sunday School to Baptist Training Union to Vacation Bible School, I heard about Esther saving her people. My teachers taught Esther was a good queen, while Vashti was a bad queen. However, lately, I keep coming back to Esther’s story because it resonates with my 60-year-old mind and heart in a profound way that makes me pause. Based upon my lived experiences and those of countless Black women of faith, I now know that Esther did not wake up one day feeling bold. She didn’t start out...

Dr. Sherri, The UnMuted One Silence is not a personality trait, and it has nothing to do with whether you are an introvert or not. Silence is a survival strategy. As a Black woman who works with Black women of faith, I hear it all of the time. I hear the same stories over and over again. Brillant women. Faithful women. Women who pray, serve, lead, give, and show up. And yet, when it comes to their own needs, their own callings, their own pain, they get quiet. Make no mistake about it. This...