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Dear Olivia Pope...

If ever there was a time this country needed Olivia Pope (and obviously Jesus) it’s now. If you’re not familiar with Olivia Pope, she’s a fictional character on Shonda Rhimes hit series Scandal. Olivia is a complicated yet smart, beautiful, gutsy, and determined go-getter that fixes any and every crisis that goes down in Washington. So, I imagined what I’d write to Olivia Pope to enlist her services to handle things, and it’d probably go a little something like this:

Dear Olivia Pope,
I don’t know where to begin. Things have been a mess and I’m reaching out because the struggle has been too real. As I’m sure you’ve seen in the press, and perhaps a little before last November things have been super out of control. This country’s got enemies in and outside of the area, massive amounts of hate, in addition to inequality and division like never before, and all hell feels like its breaking loose. Lately, I’ve also found myself in a situation that’s been uncomfortable, and it’s something I’m sure you’ll find relatable. I’m a black woman. I’m smart, educated, attractive, and more than qualified to do the things I do, but often find myself having to work twice as hard to prove myself to people who either underestimate me or are expecting me to fail. I’ve knocked on doors only to have them slammed in my face, and have had some doors open, and still had to grind harder than ever to prove myself. Whenever I speak up or stand up, I’m shunned or considered angry, difficult or emotional when I’m simply exercising my free right to use my voice. The suffering in silence got to be unbearable. Any advice on how to handle this? And is there anything you and your fellow gladiators can do to improve the chaos that's impacting the youth, minorities, schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods? I know you’re probably busy but your services are much needed. I believe you and your employees at OPA can really help. I look forward to hearing from you soon and thank you in advance.
Best,
PS – Did I mention I love your wardrobe? Girl, you slay.


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