17: Still a Superwoman on My Terms Exchanging the Superwoman Robe for More Comfortable and Relaxed Garments

For 38 years, I was defined by my roles as a K–12 teacher, principal, wife, and mother. Like many women of color, especially those raised in the church, I embraced the “Strong Black Woman” and “superwoman” roles—serving family and community with unwavering dedication. We were taught to prioritize others, wearing a symbolic cape of honor that grew heavier with time. Though once a source of pride, the weight of always being strong became exhausting. When I left public education and my youngest child graduated from college, I shed that cape and stepped into a new identity—lighter, freer, and more authentic. Writing this chapter has been a liberating act of self-definition, marking a turning point in my evolution. Speaking my truth through these words is both a release and a reclamation. I still claim strength and womanism, but now I do so on my own terms, no longer bound by inherited expectations.