Malebo Sephodi

“And... Know thyself Know Know”

“In order to validate our Africanness, we hold on to tradition at all cost, banning critical engagement in an attempt to preserve its sacredness”

“And It was said to me: "embrace the glorious mess you are". How easy it is to see darkness in the winter shedding and not see that even in its gloominess lies great beauty. That even in our great struggles - lies within a great victory. How then does the Spring green come about without the fertilisation of the Winter brown? Isn't it the very brown that gives way and life to the green we await to goggle in awe. There is power and sheer beauty in your mess. A true triumphing chaos that renders sweet melodic honey to your journey. So again it was whispered to me "embrace the glorious mess that you are”

“I am shedding.I am not a new me.I am my old me in my new me.I remain, carved with the soul of my knife.My mess scattered all over my countenance. I am me. Take me as I am.”

“It's actually such a tragedy that I live in a world that is inspired by me putting my body or mental state on the line”

“Expand!You are not small. Your Foremothers did not do what they did so you could occupy small!”

“I am art. I am authentic. I am love. I am me.”

“Because books saved my life, literally, I've become close to them”

“In being everything for everyone, when am I anything for myself?”

“The voice of a Black woman should always be HERSELF ...No edits - no erasure - no pressure - no expectations - no additions - no intruders”

“Feels so good to be quoted”

“Look within - there is no end!”

“What you allow inside of you will settle there unless you find an effective way to work it out.”

“In nude protests, the very same body that is objectified and subjected to endless scrutiny and policing is used to reclaim power.”

“Society is obsessed with women's bodies and I take my body back by doing whatever it is that I want to do with my body”

“To misbehave us to denounce the social norms that limit individuals based on who they are. That to make history is to upset patriarchy, a system that is intent on controlling and marginalising others.”

“How do I negotiate my way across life with a system that I find so violent yet it seems so normal to many others?”

“Self-love for me means accepting who I am and dealing with the perceived flaws that I live with. It is also accepting that sometimes I struggle with feelings of inadequacy and I do not think that I am enough. The point to all of this, is acknowledging this part about me. When I acknowledge it then it becomes easy for me to seek self-love through managing the moments when I don’t feel like I love myself. I am constantly working towards finding ways that enable me to value myself.”

“On top of dealing with the emotional trauma associated with conscious and unconscious recalling, you must deal with the possibility of no one believing you or making you doubt your experiences. When women speak out about their abusers, they have to deal with the police and society not believing them”

“The most beautiful thing is that despite the shallow life we sometimes succumb to - the soul has no timeline and it knows what it wants and will yearn within until it seeks the journey”