A Thank-You to Elsa Barkley Brown and her Argument in "What Has Happened Here"

Dear Elsa Barkley Brown,

Thank you for an empowering and necessary argument.  I could not agree more that although all women have a unique experience, we must unite in the fact that, at the end of the day, we are all women.  We each play different characters in the complete story of womanhood.  We must recognize our differences-recognize that each of our individual struggles are different than the struggles of the next woman.  But, we must also embrace our similarities--embrace not only the challenges, but also the strengths of all women.  By only focusing on our differences, we never unite and move forward.  Although my experience as a black woman growing up in a white suburban town outside of Detroit is different than the experience of a queer woman growing up in the Atlanta, Georgia, we still share common goals.  We can still stand together, pointing out our differences, but not letting them hold us back from realizing the full potential of the resilient, powerful, wise, and intelligent woman.  

Sincerely,

Veronica Stafford