The Maytriarchy
“If I could give my younger self any advice it would be to celebrate who you are everyday, and to never shrink yourself. I would tell myself that my identity is valid, and that I should never apologize for who I am.”
The Maytriarchy is a space for female-identifying/non-binary BIPOC to tell their stories about coming of age in Canada. It is a place to build community by allowing people to share their own narratives as they move forward and navigate the in-between spaces of complex cultural identities.
May Truong the founder of The Maytriarchy reached out, and asked if i’d be open to sharing my story about my experience as a queer black women in Canada. The opportunity allowed me to really sit, and reflect on who I was as a Black queer woman.
“I went to a predominantly white school, and the teachers were at a loss for how to celebrate black lives during Black History Month.” I got a chance to speak about my past experience with the education system as a Black student and what it felt like to be positioned as the only one that could provide an insight for the “Black experience.”
“Some of my biggest challenges that I’ve had to face while growing up in Canada has been having to deal with microaggressions about my blackness.” Reflecting on this made me call attention to the times I've had to deal with my discomfort in private, or with a community that shared something in common with my lived experience.
Using my voice to call attention to my life experience is so powerful. This personally speaks volumes to me because my story is my own, and taking control over my narrative is important to me.
Photos By May Truong