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Bringing the Reverence Back to Black Womanhood
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SISTAHMAGAZINE x OUR TRUE COLORS
Who decided what Black Beauty should look like?
Explore how beauty standards, social media, and industry influence shape how Black women see ourselves… and how we see each other.
TRENDINGSTORIES
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler: Physician Pioneer
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler made history in 1864 as the first Black woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. Working during the turbulent aftermath of the Civil War, she dedicated her practice to caring for poor Black women and children who were often denied medical treatment. Despite intense racism and sexism, her work laid the foundation for generations of Black physicians who would follow.
RS
9 min read
TRENDINGSTORIES
of Charlotte
Stay connected to what’s happening across the Queen City. From standout food and drink spots to can’t-miss events, cultural happenings, and local news — this is where we highlight the stories, spaces, and people shaping Charlotte right now. Discover where to go, what to experience, and who’s making an impact in the city.
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OVER 200+ BLACK HERSTORY ICONS
A Living Archive of Black Women’s Power
The March 2026 edition of SISTAH Magazine is a bold editorial tribute to the women, thinkers, builders, and communities who were pushed to the margins—yet shaped the foundation. The Last Shall Be First centers untold stories, reframes misunderstood legacies, and challenges readers to reconsider who we call “great.” Because what was dismissed yesterday may define tomorrow.
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IDENTITY&VOICE
Alexa Canady: A Legacy of Excellence, Courage, and Care
Dr. Alexa Canady reshaped what leadership in medicine could look like. Her impact reaches far beyond milestones, living on in the lives she changed and the paths she made possible for others.
My Time Is Near
Being last taught us discernment. It taught us that timing is sacred and that preparation is a form of love. So when we arrive, we arrive whole— with boundaries, with wisdom, with legacy in our hands. We are not late. We were being formed.
I Know Who I Am
This piece is a declaration, not a whisper—an unapologetic return to self in a world that benefits from Black women shrinking. What follows is self-love as truth, resistance, and inheritance, spoken without permission.
Reverence for
BlackWomen
Begins with Us.
Every movement begins with the woman who nurtures it. Every legacy begins with the woman who remembers. When Black women are seen, supported, protected, and poured into — the entire community shifts. The children stand taller. The men lead with integrity. The home becomes a sanctuary again.
SISTAH Magazine exists to restore what was lost: the dignity, beauty, softness, and leadership of the Black Woman at the center of the family and the culture.
Your giving makes this restoration possible.
CULTURE&EXPRESSION
Ayisha Cravotta: From First Black Clara to Shaping the Next Generation of Ballet in Charlotte
At a Charlotte Post Women’s History Month event at West Boulevard Library, Charlotte Ballet Academy Director Ayisha Cravotta reflected on a career shaped by discipline, representation, and global training. From becoming Charlotte’s first Black Clara in The Nutcracker to mentoring the next generation of dancers, Cravotta shared how the power of seeing oneself reflected in the arts can shape an entire life — and why creating those mirrors for young dancers today remains essenti
The Sister Circle
A love letter to the importance of sisterhood love, often overshadowed by the culture of comparison and exhaustion.
Perfect Alignment
Discover a poem celebrating perfect alignment, divine timing, and the gravitational pull of two souls committed to growth, healing and thriving together. A beautiful tribute to enduring, evolving love.
FREEDOM&JUSTICE
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler: Physician Pioneer
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler made history in 1864 as the first Black woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. Working during the turbulent aftermath of the Civil War, she dedicated her practice to caring for poor Black women and children who were often denied medical treatment. Despite intense racism and sexism, her work laid the foundation for generations of Black physicians who would follow.
RS
9 min read
The Fall of Kimberly Bryant: Founder of Black Girls CODE!
Once overlooked, Kimberly Bryant built space where none existed, proving that those pushed to the margins often lead the way forward. Her story reminds us that beginnings born in exclusion can become blueprints for change.
Ena Alese
3 min read
Colorism & Reverse-Colorism: The Fued Between the House and Field Nigga
Centuries after slavery, the feud between the “house” and “field” still lingers in our DNA. Colorism and “reverse” colorism are not natural—they’re the offspring of a system built to divide. From the Willie Lynch blueprint to modern media, Black women of every shade have been pitted against one another. But healing begins when we see each other not as rivals, but as reflections under the same moon.
Zhateyah YisraEl
7 min read
SPIRITUAL&NATURAL
When Black Love Becomes Ministry
When Black Love Becomes Ministry isn’t about perfection—it’s about covering. After years of mistaking chemistry for commitment, she discovered a love rooted in patience, prayer, and protection. This is the story of a man who didn’t just pursue her heart, but stewarded it—proving that when Black love is aligned with God, it becomes ministry.
Facing Myself
There comes a moment in our lives where we are required to look within. We are able to see who we are in efforts to acknowledge, address, and adjust how we show up for ourselves and the people closest to us.
Polygyny: God’s Order or Patriarchal Greed?
Men claim polygyny is “in their DNA,” but is it God’s order or patriarchal greed? From lion prides to Yoruba legends, from Jacob’s rivalry-filled house to David’s lust for Bathsheba, history shows polygyny can bless or break a family. Before you choose this path, ask: is it divine calling, mutual uplift, and provision — or just desire dressed as heritage?
MONEY&POWER
West Charlotte High and the Price of Desegregation
At a Black History Month panel, former students and teachers of West Charlotte High reflected on a time when the school symbolized Black academic excellence and community pride. Their stories revealed both the power of segregated Black educational spaces and the cultural cost of desegregation — raising a pressing question: how do we restore the rigor, presentation, and excellence that once defined West Charlotte?
📣 The First Black Women’s Business Directory Is Dropping in Charlotte — in Print!
The first-ever Charlotte Black Women’s Business Directory is dropping this January—bringing 500+ Black women-owned brands into 100+ hotspot locations across the city. In a year where Black women faced record unemployment, this print edition is more than visibility—it’s a lifeline.
The Cost of Giving Until Empty: Why Abundance Must Begin at Home
America’s progress is measured like coming from -98 to 0 — still far from the abundance we deserve. We keep pouring from our gourds until nothing is left for our own households, and then wonder why the village is starving. The truth is, scarcity was never meant to be our economic model. What happens when we flip the script — when we plant beside the well, refill our gourd, and teach the next generation to draw?
LIFESTYLE&HOME
What's This Word... REST?
A "How To" guide to incorporate rest into our hectic lives, without impacting too much of your everyday life and responsibilities.
Matriphagy: When Motherhood Feeds Everyone but You
In nature, the Velvet Spider feeds her children with her own body—a haunting mirror of mothers who give until they vanish. Many women live this quietly, mistaking depletion for devotion. But love was never meant to consume you. Healing begins when you stop feeding others from your wounds and start nurturing from your wholeness. You are not food—you are the source.
Rest is Revolutionary by Ash Authoress
We grew up watching Black women move without pause. Mothers, aunties, and church ladies who carried the world on their backs, always in motion, rarely at rest. Their hustle shaped us, but it also taught us something they were never given space to learn: rest is not laziness. Rest is survival. Rest is power.
BLACKHERSTORY
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler: Physician Pioneer
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler made history in 1864 as the first Black woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. Working during the turbulent aftermath of the Civil War, she dedicated her practice to caring for poor Black women and children who were often denied medical treatment. Despite intense racism and sexism, her work laid the foundation for generations of Black physicians who would follow.
RS
9 min read
Alexa Canady: A Legacy of Excellence, Courage, and Care
Dr. Alexa Canady reshaped what leadership in medicine could look like. Her impact reaches far beyond milestones, living on in the lives she changed and the paths she made possible for others.
Crimson Steed
3 min read
The Fall of Kimberly Bryant: Founder of Black Girls CODE!
Once overlooked, Kimberly Bryant built space where none existed, proving that those pushed to the margins often lead the way forward. Her story reminds us that beginnings born in exclusion can become blueprints for change.
Ena Alese
3 min read
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This Charlotte Inhome Daycare sets the bar high for immersive childcare.
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Social Media & The Quiet Creep on Self-Perception
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The Last Shall Be First is talking about Black Women.
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler: Physician Pioneer
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler made history in 1864 as the first Black woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. Working during the turbulent aftermath of the Civil War, she dedicated her practice to caring for poor Black women and children who were often denied medical treatment. Despite intense racism and sexism, her work laid the foundation for generations of Black physicians who would follow.
RS
2 days ago
Alexa Canady: A Legacy of Excellence, Courage, and Care
Dr. Alexa Canady reshaped what leadership in medicine could look like. Her impact reaches far beyond milestones, living on in the lives she changed and the paths she made possible for others.
Crimson Steed
3 days ago
Ayisha Cravotta: From First Black Clara to Shaping the Next Generation of Ballet in Charlotte
At a Charlotte Post Women’s History Month event at West Boulevard Library, Charlotte Ballet Academy Director Ayisha Cravotta reflected on a career shaped by discipline, representation, and global training. From becoming Charlotte’s first Black Clara in The Nutcracker to mentoring the next generation of dancers, Cravotta shared how the power of seeing oneself reflected in the arts can shape an entire life — and why creating those mirrors for young dancers today remains essenti
Zhateyah YisraEl
5 days ago
The Fall of Kimberly Bryant: Founder of Black Girls CODE!
Once overlooked, Kimberly Bryant built space where none existed, proving that those pushed to the margins often lead the way forward. Her story reminds us that beginnings born in exclusion can become blueprints for change.
Ena Alese
5 days ago
After the Fig Leaves
Afraid to be naked, I clothed myself in your insecurities to please your hunger, your pain. Your thirst for righteousness; quenched, assured by minimizing my mastery. Bewildered now that I no longer subscribe to the roles you saw fit for me. Reunited with my sovereignty, in need of not your blessing. ⸻ A Companion Reflection The fig
LaVianca Ledbetter
6 days ago
I (16F) Think My Mom Hates Me — #AsktheAunties
When a mother becomes her daughter’s competition, the wound doesn’t always scream — sometimes it whispers. It looks like canceled plans when a man calls. It sounds like, “You’re too sensitive.” It feels like warmth one week and withdrawal the next. In this week’s Ask The Aunties, a 16-year-old girl questions whether she’s wrong for feeling unsafe in a home where love seems conditional. The Aunties respond with honesty, wisdom, and one powerful reminder: recognizing instabilit
Ask the Aunties
6 days ago
My Time Is Near
Being last taught us discernment. It taught us that timing is sacred and that preparation is a form of love. So when we arrive, we arrive whole— with boundaries, with wisdom, with legacy in our hands. We are not late. We were being formed.
Crimson Steed
7 days ago
Marching Home: Black Military Service, Memory, and the Sacred Ground of Cedar Grove
At Cedar Grove Cemetery, history rests in unmarked ground and government-issued headstones. During the Charlotte Museum of History’s “Marching Home” panel, veterans and community leaders confronted the paradox of Black military service: defending a nation abroad while still fighting for dignity at home. Their stories demand more than applause—they demand remembrance.
Zhateyah YisraEl
Feb 28
At the Sarah Stevenson Tuesday Forum, Black Charlotte Tells Its Own Story
This Black History Month, the Sarah Stevenson Tuesday Forum wasn’t interested in polished tributes. It offered something rarer: candor. From the dismantling of Black educational institutions after integration to Soul City’s bold economic vision and Charlotte’s fragmented music scene, elders and professionals confronted what was built, what was lost, and what must be rebuilt. If you want to understand Black Charlotte beyond celebration, start here.
Zhateyah YisraEl
Feb 25
I Know Who I Am
This piece is a declaration, not a whisper—an unapologetic return to self in a world that benefits from Black women shrinking. What follows is self-love as truth, resistance, and inheritance, spoken without permission.
Zakiya Hakizimana
Feb 23
West Charlotte High and the Price of Desegregation
At a Black History Month panel, former students and teachers of West Charlotte High reflected on a time when the school symbolized Black academic excellence and community pride. Their stories revealed both the power of segregated Black educational spaces and the cultural cost of desegregation — raising a pressing question: how do we restore the rigor, presentation, and excellence that once defined West Charlotte?
Zhateyah YisraEl
Feb 22
The Sister Circle
A love letter to the importance of sisterhood love, often overshadowed by the culture of comparison and exhaustion.
Zakiya Hakizimana
Feb 19
Her Smile: A Reawakening
This poem chronicles a profound internal shift: from shielding oneself for mere "survival" to embracing authentic, self-designed happiness. The simple act of her smile transforms from a source of discomfort into a declaration of the inherent power she always possessed. It serves as a potent reminder that true strength lies not in enduring, but in choosing to fully live and breathe, starting with self-acceptance and love. The smile is the first, essential step toward a reawake
LaVianca Ledbetter
Feb 18
Perfect Alignment
Discover a poem celebrating perfect alignment, divine timing, and the gravitational pull of two souls committed to growth, healing and thriving together. A beautiful tribute to enduring, evolving love.
LaVianca Ledbetter
Feb 15
A Black Queen's Responsibility
A vow spoken in defiance of a world designed to fracture Black love and dignity. What follows is devotion as sanctuary—faith, loyalty, and reverence rising where systems have failed.
Zakiya Hakizimana
Feb 14
Today I Release
February often celebrates romantic love, but self-love is the soil that romance grows from. This affirmation acknowledges that growth may stretch us, disrupt comfort, and require release — yet none of that diminishes peace. It refines it. When we choose ourselves with intention, we become better partners, better friends, and better stewards of love.
LaVianca Ledbetter
Feb 12
Honor Our Elders
The elders in our families carry generations of memory, love, and survival in their voices. When we honor them, we strengthen the foundation that steadies us and keeps our legacy alive.
Zakiya Hakizimana
Feb 9
The Curriculum of Commitment: Learning Before and Within Marriage
I swear my college years of thick textbooks, hours of lectures, and long study halls once had me believing that learning was boring—more of a burden than a benefit. It wasn’t until after graduating that true education began, and my love of learning returned. Even more so as I developed a relationship with my now husband. I had a revelation years ago: what if we prepared for the roles we play in life the same way we prepare for our careers? Years of schooling. Internships. On-
LaVianca Ledbetter
Feb 7
Word To My Brother
One brother speaks from exhaustion and frustration, the other from lived understanding. What passes between them is simple but heavy: unity is not optional—it’s necessary.
Zakiya Hakizimana
Feb 6
Before the Ring: The Foundation Before Forever
He traveled two and a half hours to take me on our first date. I was having a terrible hair day and felt anxious, unsure of what to expect. Yet somehow, in his presence, there was calm. An innocence. No pressure. No expectations. Just two people with genuine hearts, desiring to be seen.
LaVianca Ledbetter
Feb 4
When Black Love Becomes Ministry
When Black Love Becomes Ministry isn’t about perfection—it’s about covering. After years of mistaking chemistry for commitment, she discovered a love rooted in patience, prayer, and protection. This is the story of a man who didn’t just pursue her heart, but stewarded it—proving that when Black love is aligned with God, it becomes ministry.
JAZZY JOHNSON
Feb 1
The Marriage Looks Perfect — So Why Do I Feel Alone? #AsktheAunties
The Aunties brought the truth—soft, spicy, prayerful, and free-spirited. Take what speaks to you and leave the rest. If this sounds like your life, you’re not alone. Share your advice in the comments, and keep sending your questions. The circle is open; the Aunties are listening.
Ask the Aunties
Jan 15
When We Remember Ourselves
Somewhere between expectation and survival, we forget we belong to ourselves. In remembering our essence, we reclaim the power that was never lost, only waiting to be seen again
LaVianca Asante'
Dec 26, 2025
What's This Word... REST?
A "How To" guide to incorporate rest into our hectic lives, without impacting too much of your everyday life and responsibilities.
LaVianca Asante'
Dec 23, 2025
Who I Already Am
Each season shapes me quietly, turning reflection into becoming.
With every breath, I remember—I already am everything I need to become.
LaVianca Asante'
Dec 17, 2025
Charlotte’s Power Trio: How Black Women Now Steer the Queen City’s Future
Charlotte is entering a historic era led by a powerful trinity of Black women—Mayor Vi Lyles, Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill, and Police Chief Estella Patterson. Together, they are shaping the Queen City’s future through equity, education, and public safety. Their leadership marks a new chapter where Black women aren’t just influencing Charlotte—they’re defining it.
SISTAH NEWS
Dec 16, 2025
Zahra's New Power
Zahra thought regret had anchored her, until Aunt Luna reminded her it was only a lesson—not a life sentence.
With every mistake turned into fuel, she realized she wasn’t falling behind at all… she was finally rising toward a season she could shape for herself.
Kiyaza
Dec 15, 2025
Facing Myself
There comes a moment in our lives where we are required to look within. We are able to see who we are in efforts to acknowledge, address, and adjust how we show up for ourselves and the people closest to us.
Britty J
Dec 10, 2025
The Reclamation Ritual
When you realign, you don’t start over—you return to yourself with greater clarity.
LaVianca Asante'
Dec 7, 2025
Relax, Relate, Release
We often overwhelm ourselves with the things that life throws our way. Using the phrase from the show A Different Word, this is a guide to inspire all of us to be at peace, find comfort, and re-align as many times as life asks you to—your path can bend without breaking your dreams. Happiness has no deadline, and neither do you.
Ash Authoress
Dec 4, 2025
It's Time
Doubt may whisper, but my vision is louder—clear, steady, and calling me forward. I’m done shrinking; it’s time to rise into the destiny that’s been waiting on me.
Tee Kay Poetic
Dec 1, 2025
Rest in Power
“Black woman, allow yourself to breathe, to rest, and to reclaim your strength.
Kiyaza
Nov 30, 2025
Aunt Sandy with the Candy
Every December, Aunt Sandy gave everything to keep her family’s traditions alive. When exhaustion finally took over, her husband reminded her that even love needs rest. The family stepped in, sharing the work and the warmth. That year, Sandy learned the sweetest gift was letting others give, too.
Kiyaza
Nov 27, 2025
True Selves
True wellness often begins here: in the heat of stillness, where we return to ourselves and awaken to who we were always meant to be.
LaVianca Asante'
Nov 25, 2025
📣 The First Black Women’s Business Directory Is Dropping in Charlotte — in Print!
The first-ever Charlotte Black Women’s Business Directory is dropping this January—bringing 500+ Black women-owned brands into 100+ hotspot locations across the city. In a year where Black women faced record unemployment, this print edition is more than visibility—it’s a lifeline.
SISTAH NEWS
Nov 21, 2025
Rest is Revolution by Briana Parlor
This year, the official first day of fall was September 22nd. This time of year always feels like a gentle reminder to slow down and turn inward. The intentionality of fall is reflected in how the trees release their leaves. In the Northern Hemisphere, the autumn equinox invites shorter days and colder weather. As a means of survival, our tree friends shed their leaves to conserve energy, protect themselves from the harshness of winter, and prepare for the next growing season
Briana Parlor
Nov 20, 2025
Colorism & Reverse-Colorism: The Fued Between the House and Field Nigga
Centuries after slavery, the feud between the “house” and “field” still lingers in our DNA. Colorism and “reverse” colorism are not natural—they’re the offspring of a system built to divide. From the Willie Lynch blueprint to modern media, Black women of every shade have been pitted against one another. But healing begins when we see each other not as rivals, but as reflections under the same moon.
Zhateyah YisraEl
Nov 19, 2025
The Weight of a Holiday Smile
Sheena was the glue. Everyone said it, and most days she wore that title like a crown. But as December settled over Brooklyn with its flashing lights, long grocery lines, and endless WhatsApp messages from family, the crown began to feel more like a chain.
Kiyaza
Nov 13, 2025
Matriphagy: When Motherhood Feeds Everyone but You
In nature, the Velvet Spider feeds her children with her own body—a haunting mirror of mothers who give until they vanish. Many women live this quietly, mistaking depletion for devotion. But love was never meant to consume you. Healing begins when you stop feeding others from your wounds and start nurturing from your wholeness. You are not food—you are the source.
Zhateyah YisraEl
Nov 12, 2025
Rest is Revolutionary by Ash Authoress
We grew up watching Black women move without pause. Mothers, aunties, and church ladies who carried the world on their backs, always in motion, rarely at rest. Their hustle shaped us, but it also taught us something they were never given space to learn: rest is not laziness. Rest is survival. Rest is power.
Ash Authoress
Nov 11, 2025
Silence Seasons the Soul
She gives endlessly, worn by love and duty. Expectations pull, but her spirit whispers for peace. She lets go—the meal, the noise, the weight. Tonight, she chooses herself and rests in the quiet.
Kiyaza
Nov 11, 2025
Rest is Revolutionary
I was conflicted between the two, should I rest or continue on?
I knew I should slow down but it felt so wrong.
Tee Kay Poetic
Nov 10, 2025
When Rest Became my Revolution
There comes a moment when your body refuses to carry what your heart won’t release. I learned that peace isn’t passive; it’s protection. Healing began when I stopped pretending to be unbreakable and started choosing myself. My rest became rebellion. My boundaries became redemption. My peace became non-negotiable. For the first time, I understood—true strength isn’t enduring pain; it’s having the courage to release it.
Jazzy A. Johnson
Nov 8, 2025
Close Your Eyes and Rise
Before the world demands your strength again, this is a reminder to choose yourself. To rest without guilt. To remember that you were never meant to hold everything together alone.
Kiyaza
Nov 6, 2025
Two Shades of Sorrow Under the Same Moon
The sun burned through Nahlia’s back as she dreamed of the cool air inside the white house. Inside, Ailhan balanced a tray beneath the mistress’s stare, longing for the laughter drifting from the fields. Each envied the other’s world, blind to how both were prisons built from different bricks. But under the same moon, they would learn that freedom was never found alone.
Zhateyah YisraEl
Nov 5, 2025
Holiday Revelation
In a bustling Thanksgiving kitchen, Sue feels her late mother’s spirit guiding her through laughter and memory. She realizes legacy isn’t just food or tradition—it’s love, care, and the passing of responsibility from one generation to the next. What once felt like duty now feels sacred.
Britty J
Oct 29, 2025
Polygyny: God’s Order or Patriarchal Greed?
Men claim polygyny is “in their DNA,” but is it God’s order or patriarchal greed? From lion prides to Yoruba legends, from Jacob’s rivalry-filled house to David’s lust for Bathsheba, history shows polygyny can bless or break a family. Before you choose this path, ask: is it divine calling, mutual uplift, and provision — or just desire dressed as heritage?
Zhateyah YisraEl
Oct 11, 2025
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