In Don't Call Me Strong Black Woman, I share a deeply personal part of my journey, one that challenges societal expectations and embraces the vulnerability we so often deny ourselves. This memoir is for every Black woman who has ever felt the weight of trying to fit into spaces that were never meant for us.
Rooted in truth and raw emotion, I explore the complexities of being labeled "strong" in a world that expects us to carry burdens that others cannot even fathom. T In these pages, I give myself, and every Black woman, the permission to no longer bear this weight alone. This is more than a memoir. It's a call to remember that we, too, deserve rest, tenderness, and the freedom to embrace our humanity. It's time we stop being expected to be strong all the time and start being deserving of the care we've always given to others.
For every Black woman who has ever felt unseen, this is your space.
Walker, Kaiya: - Born and raised in Houston, Texas, K.T. Washington (Kaiya Walker) is an author, Personal Rebranding Coach, wife, and mother. From an early age, Kaiya found solace and expression in writing. As a tall, skinny Black girl with big glasses and even bigger eyes, she discovered that words were her most powerful tool. Raised by single parents, Kaiya was profoundly influenced by her mother, Dr. Merle Ray, and her father, who both instilled in her the values of hard work and perseverance. As a child, she rarely saw books featuring Black girls like herself and longed for stories that reflected her experiences. By age 17, she was a single mother; by 19, she was in an abusive marriage; and by 28, she was raising three daughters alone. Yet, Kaiya's resilience shone through-she returned to school, to peruse a degree in Public Administration, and began a career in social services. As a personal rebranding coach, Mrs. Washington obtained her Masters of Science in Christ-Centered Coaching Leadership and Change from Elevation Life Transformation University in Houston, Texas. Determined to provide a better future for her daughters, Kaiya also obtained her Real Estate License and began practicing real estate, though writing remained her true love. At 36, she found love and remarried, and at 40, she welcomed her fourth daughter. In 2014, recognizing the lack of representation in literature, Kaiya founded The Koco Kopies. This collection of stories aims to tell the urban tales that often go unheard, capturing the magic of everyday women who are frequently overlooked but have so much to offer the world. The Koco Kopies is a celebration of urban fiction at its finest, dedicated to showcasing the lives and experiences of women for women to ensure that no black girl grows up feeling invisible in the stories she reads.Kaiya Washington's journey is a testament to resilience, creativity, and the power of storytelling. Her work continues to inspire and empower, shining a light on the untold stories of everyday women.
