When Black Women Lead, The Bullying Gets Louder. Here’s How We Stay Unshaken.
I don’t like bullies. Never have. But my father taught me that bullies are like buses: they run every 15 minutes. So I’m not surprised when I see women like […] The post When Black Women Lead, The Bullying Gets Louder. Here’s How We Stay Unshaken. appeared first on Essence.
Black News 
By Michelle Merriweather ·Updated November 24, 2025 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… I don’t like bullies. Never have.
But my father taught me that bullies are like buses: they run every 15 minutes.
So I’m not surprised when I see women like Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (my Soror) bullied by critics who hide behind “accountability” and “transparency” rhetoric. Or when New York Attorney General Letitia James faces relentless attacks and threats—not for her legal strategy or case outcomes, but because she dared to hold powerful people accountable under the law.
What they’re really doing is trying to intimidate Black women out of positions of power.
They never bring up Crockett’s voting record or James’s decades of public service. It’s always an attack against their vibrato, their looks, their audacity to speak with authority, or even how much money they make as experienced professionals.
Reports show that 84% of Americans say our political debate has grown less respectful, and 78% say it’s become less fact-based. When the air shifts in this way, when truth becomes optional and hostility becomes sport, Black women in leadership feel the blow in our bones. Because we are not only tasked with protecting the work, but the people who do this work within our workplaces and communities every single day. Our legitimacy is always up for debate.
Having served in several leadership roles for over 20 years, I have experienced firsthand how false narratives can jeopardize and, in some cases, change the face of the important work that’s executed for the betterment of others.
Currently, I lead an office of one of the oldest civil rights organizations in the country, which empowers Black and other historically underserved individuals to thrive for generations through social and economic justice. The staff here, predominantly made of Black women, reflects the community we serve, and that’s what drives the passion behind this work: we are who we’re here to serve.
Over the last year, we’ve supported 120 entrepreneurs with Business Development assistance; helped over 100 families move toward homeownership through down payment assistance, and relieved the financial burden of 1000 residents with debt reduction support, among other initiatives. We served over 500 youth with in-school, out-of-school/work through mentorship, wrap-around services, and educational support. And nearly 200 youth through our Career Bridge program have been connected to certifications, jobs, education, and/or the trades.
These aren’t abstract numbers, but real people whose lives we helped change.
Impact threatens misinformation every time.
It’s not easy, but it’s what our foremothers before us have taught and modeled, and we must continue to carry that ethos now more than ever. For women who are leading in this work, here are some tips that keep me standing and unshaken:
Know your mission—and come with receipts. When the critics attack your work, they’re coming for your mission and your team. Stay anchored in your work, objectives, and outcomes. Your record must be beyond reproach. Know your books and your mission better than they know their talking points. When bullies come swinging, you hit back with facts.
Build your circle of protection. You are not alone. Your critics want you to feel isolated and vulnerable. Don’t give them the satisfaction. Find your small, fierce circle of Black women who understand the weight you carry. For me, my circle of protection includes two Black women whos stand next to me in this work: Josalyn Ford and Linda Taylor. On the hardest days, they’re the rock on which I lean for strength.
Rest is your secret weapon. There’s a story in the Bible about the prophet Elijah eating a snack and taking a nap before his next battle. Your detractors want you exhausted. They want you to burn out, step down, disappear. Don’t give them that win. Protect your mental health and prioritize genuine rest as strategic resistance. You can’t lead on empty.
Control the narrative. Bullies want to drag you into the mud on their terms, in their space, fighting their fight. Don’t go. Use your voice selectively and powerfully. Choose your platform, your timing, your message. Respond when it serves your mission, not their agenda. The power isn’t in clapping back at every attack—it’s in rising above the noise to speak your truth.
Remember: Bullies pick on people who threaten them. If they’re coming for you this hard, it’s because you’re doing something right. You’re disrupting a system designed to keep us out. The attacks aren’t proof of failure—they’re proof that you’re a threat to the status quo. Let that fuel you.
My career has taught me that beating bullies isn’t about matching energy – being louder or more vindictive. It’s about being unshakeable. It’s about knowing who you are and refusing to let anyone redefine you. It’s about another lesson my father taught me – standing firm in what you believe. So keep your posture strong, your mission clear, and your circle close. The bullies have a tired playbook, and we’ve seen it all before. We have too much work to do to let them stop us now.
Michelle Merriweather is the President & CEO of ULMS, one of the country’s oldest civil rights organizations.
The post When Black Women Lead, The Bullying Gets Louder. Here’s How We Stay Unshaken. appeared first on Essence.
