GAZELLE MAGAZINE WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH EDITION | Page 12

PUBLISHER'S NOTE Our #MeToo Stories are Real I t is midnight in early February, just over a week since we gathered for the March cover photo and video shoot. I waited so long to sit down and write, because I didn’t know what to say. I still don’t, so I am going to put in writing what is in my heart. I feel the emotional heaviness from the day of the shoot. It was painful and overwhelming, yet inspiring, empowering and enlightening. Seven women and the crew showed up that morning, determined to capture the soul of the #MeToo movement through stories shared candidly by women right here in our community - including me. We sat together, looked at each other, shared and listened, and we said, “me, too.” We were a united voice with an understanding of each other and our experiences in a way that we never realized before. Though the details of our experiences varied, we saw ourselves in each story. That day was a profound and life-changing event. We spoke, and not only did someone listen, someone understood and supported us. That someone was the woman sitting next to us, also telling her story. We were each other’s support system, and it felt good. To finally be heard is such a gift. We matter, after all. As you go through the pages reading each and every one of the stories we have featured, I hope that you will keep an open mind and feel compassion for a group of courageous women who were scared, but determined, and opened up their souls to hopefully, save a child or a woman who is afraid to say, “stop” or “me, too.” Be a part of our journey by watching the video version of our #MeToo stories on gazellemagazine.com. Learn more about “The Gazelle Life,” our new video platform, created in partnership with Optimal Entertainment. We are bringing the pages of Gazelle to life by telling the stories that matter (more on that in the April edition). In the meantime, I challenge you to make a commitment to not judge, condemn or doubt when you hear someone say #MeToo. It is her story. Cillah Hall Founder and Publisher [email protected] 10 GAZELLE