Why I'm Here

Why I'm Here

For 30 years, I kept parts of my story hidden. Childhood sexual abuse. Reproductive coercion. Domestic violence. Cancer at 21. I stayed silent because I thought that’s what was required of me. But silence comforts everyone except the person carrying the weight. I’m Shamiria Ty’Quaile Bailey. I’m a modern-day griot. And I tell war stories from the battlefield of life. This is why I’m breaking my silence. This is why I’m launching No Suga on the Rocks. This is just the beginning.