International Women’s Day 2026
To the women who are tired but still show up… to the women who have cried but still rise…
Keep going
When the world tells you to shrink, stand taller. When doubt whispers your name, answer with courage. When fear tried to sit beside you, remind it who you are.
Fight for yourself
Love on yourself
Speak up for yourself
Choose yourself
There is nothing selfish about survival. There is nothing wrong with wanting peace. There is nothing weak about needing support.
In 2026, and beyond, women supporting women is not optional; it’s necessary. It’s powerful. It’s life-changing.
So, link arms. Fix each other’s crowns. Say the hard things. Protect your joy. And never apologize for taking up space.
We here at Bestie Tribe stand with you. We believe in you. We are rooting for you.
Love you long time. Be safe. Take care. And whatever you do – don’t give up!
Happy February!
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and this month feels especially meaningful.
Two years ago, I began working on a project close to my heart. Along the way, life happened, and the project was placed on pause. At the beginning of February, I felt a gentle but clear nudge to return to it and finish what I started.
Growing Through It, Bestie is thoughfully created journal for black teen girls, designed to offer encouragement, reflection, and a safe space to grow through life’s changes. We are now in the final stages, and I’m excited to share more very soon.
Thank you for your continued love and support. Please stay connected and follow along as this journey unfolds.
IG/TikTok @bestietribecommunity
February Is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
February is often associated with love, but it’s also an important time to talk about healthy love. Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month is a reminder that respect, safety, and boundaries should always be part of any relationship; especially for teens who are still learning what love looks like.
Teen dating violence can include emotional, verbal, physical, or digital abuse, and it often starts with small red flags like controlling behavior, jealousy, pressure, or isolation from friends and family. These signs are sometimes mistaken for “care” or “love,” which is why education and open conversations matter.
This month, we encourage teens to learn the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships, speak up when something doesn’t feel right, and know that help is always available. Love should never hurt, scare, or silence you. Awareness saves lives; and every teen deserves a love that feels safe, supportive, and respectful.
P.S. Be on the lookout for our new book, Growing Through It, Bestie created to support, encourage, and remind teens they’re not alone on their journey.
Beautifully Me: From Trauma to Healing
I used to believe survival was the same as living. I wore strength like armor, smiling through scares no one could see, convincing myself that silence was safer than truth. Trauma taught me how to shrink, how to apologize for taking up space, how to mistake pain for love.
Healing began the day I chose to listen to myself. It wasn’t loud or dramatic. It was quiet- tears on the bathroom floor, deep breaths between memories, learning that rest was not weakness. I unlearned what broke me and relearned who I was beneath the hurt.
Some days I still ache. Some days I rise. Both are part of the journey. I am no longer ashamed of my story, because it proves I survived and more than that, I’m becoming.
I am healing in layers, loving myself in truth, and standing in my wholeness. I am not what happened to me. I am Beautifully Me.
Ms. Kym
2025: A Hard Year, A Stronger Mission
As we close out 2025, I want to share that it has been a rough year for the Bestie Tribe. We experienced a significant loss of funding, which greatly impacted our ability to help as many survivors as we wanted. At one point, we had to shut down completely. In August, we received a small but meaningful donation that allowed us to help reopen in October.
To keep costs down, we merged Bead the Purpose and QDF | Bestie Tribe under one domain. Even with the challenges, we were still able to support a little over 100 survivors, and that means everything to us.
As we look ahead to 2026, we are hoping and praying for a year filled with growth more sales of the Hello Bestie Bracelet and This Is Love Bracelet, more donations, more grants written and won, and more collaborations with organizations in the DFW area that stand firmly behind our mission to support survivors of domestic violence.
To the Bestie Tribe near and far- thank you! We love you. We are grateful for you. And we’ll see you in 2026.
Cyberbullying is Real — And It Took a Life
People truly don’t understand that cyberbullying is real. No matter the social media platform, some people feel entitled to say anything without considering the impact. Some of you may know, and some may not, but a young woman named Riziki took her life on TikTok Live after being relentlessly bullied by her peers. People were telling her to do it- and even how to do it - which is heartbreaking.
I don’t know her personally, but I had seen her on different panels. Still, it deeply troubles my soul that she felt so alone and was pushed to that point, live, while others encouraged it. What makes it even worse is that after her passing, people continued to mock her, speak negatively about her, and say they don’t care— claiming they won’t face consequences because she “spoke back.” If she did, it was only because she was attacked first.
I am sorry, Riziki, that you lived a troubled life. I’m sorry you tried to be friends with people who didn’t deserve your love or loyalty. I wish you were still here so I could hug you and tell you that I have your back— that you were not alone. Sometimes people open up to strangers, sometimes they don’t, but I wish you had known that it would be okay.
I hope you are resting now, and I truly hope justice will be served for you. Your life mattered!
Why do celebrities/influencers glorify domestic violence?
Why do we watch woman after woman stay with a partner who has cheated, manipulated, controlled, and even put his hands on her— and then see it spun online like it’s just “relationship drama?” When you’re telling your story all over the internet, when we can see the bruises, when we can clearly see the pain, but you water it down for the public. . . it sends a dangerous message.
It is NOT okay.
And what’s even worse is the impact: our Black and Brown girls are watching. They’re absorbing these stories. They’re learning that love means tolerating chaos, pain, and disrespect. They’re seeing their role models choose toxicity and thinking, “maybe that’s normal… maybe that’s what love looks like.
We have to stop glorifying domestic violence.
We have to stop normalizing trauma.
We have to stop calling abuse “rough patches.”
Our girls deserve to see that love is safe. Love is respectful. Love does not hurt.
Let’s tell the truth. Let’s hold people accountable. And let’s remind our girls—and grown women, too— that walking away is strength, not shame.
Nina’s Story — Breaking the Cycle
Nina grew up watching her parents in a toxic relationship. The yelling, the fear, the pain — it was all she knew. She often prayed for peace, but peace never came… until tragedy struck. One night, her father was killed in the street. It was a moment that shattered her would, but it also opened a door—and escape—for Nina and her mother.
By 13, Nina found herself drawn to Marcus, a 17-year-old from around the way. Marcus was charming but reckless—a street dude caught up in the wrong things. To Nina, he felt like protection, attention, and love all at one. But one day, when she didn’t answer his calls—because she was on punishment—Marcus snapped. He showed up angry and impatient, and when he finally found her, he beat her so badly she nearly lost her life.
Marcus went to jail. Nina was left with bruises, broken bones, and a broken spirit—but she survived. Slowly, she rebuilt herself piece by piece, learning to walk, smile, and trust again.
Years later, at 21, Nina met Devin. He wasn’t like Marcus— at least not at first. Devin didn’t hit her. Instead, he tore her down with his words, controlled her through manipulation, and convinced her that love meant pain. Because he didn’t raise a hand to her, she believed it was better. She believed this was love.
But love doesn’t hurt like that. It took time, courage, and therapy for Nina to see the truth. She finally escaped again—this time for good.
“I saw it at home and thought it was okay. But now that I’m grown and in therapy, I know it’s not. Mothers, protect your children—they see everything. They may not speak on it, but they feel it. Stop thinking with your lower half and start protecting with your upper half—your mind and heart.”
P.S.
“I want to thank the Bestie Tribe for standing behind me and helping me see life from a different perspective. The way Ms. Kym talks to me—it’s like I’ve known her for years. I truly appreciate her. And thank you for my beautiful Hello Bestie bracelet—it reminds me daily that survived, and I’m still becoming.”
When We Sat Down to Give Back, We Discovered We Were All Healing Too
We came together for a cause— 10 women, most of us strangers, gathered around a table in Dallas to talk about giving back and helping those who are hungry. But what started as a conversation about service turned into something much deeper— something raw, emotional, and painfully familiar.
As we talked, one by one, we realized that all 10 of us shared a heartbreaking truth: our husbands had cheated on us.
Some of us stayed. Some of us left. And some of us are still trying to find a way to forgive, not just them, but ourselves — for loving, for trusting, for believing that it couldn’t happen to us.
Cheating doesn’t have a gender, a race, or a specific type. It’s universal. And it’s not just infidelity— it’s a form of abuse. Emotional. Psychological. Financial. Each one of us carried scars that weren’t visible but cut deep.
Half of us even knew who “the other woman” was. That realization hurt in ways that words can’t express. It’s wild how some men can justify betrayal so easily, breaking up families and destroying homes for a moment’s pleasure. They ask for forgiveness, expect us to move on, and then slip right back into the same patterns. And when we pull away to protect ourselves, they get angry— as if our pain is the problem.
What hit the hardest was when the conversation shifted to health. Every single one of us had gone to get checked. Two had BV, and three tested positives for STDs or STIs. That’s when the gravity of it truly set in. Cheating doesn’t shatter hearts — it can jeopardize lives.
Ladies, please — protect yourselves. Pay attention to the red flags. Don’t ignore your intuition. You might think you man is on a “boys’ trip,” working late, or just out with friends. But truth be told my husband came home like clockwork every night — acting as if everything was normal — and he was still cheating.
Take care of your heart, your mind, and your body. Because cheating isn’t just betrayal. It’s a violation of your safety, your peace, and your trust.
Cheating is a form of domestic violence.
Niko’s Strength: finding her way back to herself
For six long months, Niko lived in a storm that no one could see. Her smile hid the truth — emotional wounds, the financial control, the spiritual manipulation that slowly stripped her of her confidence and peace.
He made her question her worth, her voice, even her faith. Every dollar had to be explained. Every prayer was turned into a weapon against her. She felt small, unseen, and trapped.
But one morning, something shifted. She looked in the mirror and saw a glimmer — a reminder of the woman she used to be. That was the day Niko decided she was done living in fear.
With courage trembling in her hands, she reached out for help. Step by step, she began to rebuild — emotional, financially, and spiritually. It wasn’t easy, but she kept going.
Today, Niko wears her Hello Bestie bracelet as a symbol of her freedom. It reminds her that healing takes time but hope never fades.