I was introduced to Mystic Marley--a Marley--a woman with a truly distinctive sound and intoxicating melodies that make you want to stop and ask, who is Mystic Marley? She is young, but she sounds so grown on the scene that it is mystifying but, you don’t have to wonder who she is or why the Marleys’ stronghold is as it is, on the good music vibe.
Regularly professing vibes, from Stephen (Mystic’s father) to Kymani, to Junior Gong to Julian, the Marley reign is supreme, as their ability to command attention is gifted, as we can all helplessly attest to as we swoon to their rigidly conscious lyrics.
It is the height of our pandemic and here enters Mystic with her soothing aura. A young (she's 23-years old) spirited, awesome woman who is obviously in tune with herself and with her message, as she continues to deliver the same hauntingly, knowing vibe, in her April 2021 release, Sad Girls (Cause Damage), as in her 2018 debut, Beatdown. It was similarly stirring, and it spoke of "still giving love" despite her circumstances. Marley's voice is full, mature, and sexy, and her confidence radiates in the air that she breathes, even as she lays bare her pain and her angst.
So far, both releases have been singles, but their relevance and excitement is still enough for you to pop these records on repeat and consider some things, including how we can be more understanding of each other, as warning signs are always present around us (i.e., think about 'girls who cause damage').
Having worked as a psychologist in a treatment program for male and female teenage offenders, I have to say that the signs are always present at home and school early, as these youths either test boundaries early, or they do not know of them in their early life, and they end up “growing up too soon;” this, coupled with childhood ignorance, a world that seemingly has no boundaries in the images that they proliferate, and with natural human anxiety, a lot of girls end up acting out their emotions in ways that cause real damage to no one other than to themselves, as they become rash, short-sighted, and reactive—often handcuffing themselves, their education, and their future by some of the decisions that they make.
These girls are often rejecting authority and angry, and as I think about it, they are a lot like me. My point here is that we frequently end up seeing ourselves in each other when we stop and take a moment to look, and  we all know in our hearts  that all we ever needed is someone to show us kindness, grace, and a little bit of direction when we were struggling.
We frequently end up seeing ourselves in each other when we stop and take a moment. And we all know in our hearts all we ever need is someone to show us kindness, grace, and a little bit of direction when we are struggling.
Hopefully, this perspective brings you into the psychology of the whole human race at any given time, and hopefully, it offers a sense of hope regarding what it takes to succeed as a race.
As you already know, we have to listen to one another actively, and most importantly, look at ourselves and listen to our gut instinct when it speaks.
So, I say to black women, how long will you continue to support a billion-dollar hair industry just you can’t be comfortable with being called “bit*h” and “n*gger naps” by uncouth ones?
How long will you continue to let some of those with long hair secretly boast that we, Black women, want to be like them? Oh you don’t know that they do? (We know that you do)!
We're often silent about this egregious racist slight, but it hurts when you present your best self without displaying a beatdown persona and it is often rejected and even denigrated by people simply because of their fear--which I'll speak about in detail soon.
We're often silent about this egregious racist slight, but it hurts when you present your best self without displaying a beatdown persona, and it is often rejected and even denigrated by people simply because of their fear
I once had a coworker that hinted at such, and yes, I was appalled by her nerve and her ignorance—(No, African American women do not vaunt long hairstyles because we want to be like others, we do it because we muthrfkin CAN--and we are just a cohort struggling with ourselves a little bit); man EVERYBODY wants a piece of us, it is us, that they are constantly trying to sh*t on (you know about the wages...).
Almost every black woman can relate: as soon as you get ahold of yourself, someone wants something from you, or, as soon as you come up, someone is trying to knock you down; we don’t get the promotions we should at times, we’re last in line on the totem pole (seemingly, as the last shall be first the Good Book has declared), we’re ignored or belittled, or treated superficially—I could go on and on.
Moreover, our MEN are struggling, and they sometimes take it out on us in a vicious style—(don't worry, we're built for it) but we are a people on display, and we are a people struggling—nevertheless, could I tell you how I feel about our vibe?
I am wholly confident AND OVER-CONFIDENT that we can beat this thing because winning is in our blood, and it is in the stars, as we are a people made of love, borne through love and saved through belief, and we are the true wonders of the world.
Many of the other races should be asking themselves how are they still going, considering the obstacles we've had to surmount, but the ones who are honest know that the answer is in our blood and that we ARE a people sustained by the living God, as it is only HE who is triumphant in such conditions time and time again. 
Someone reminded me that the Bible says that in the last days, “men will be lovers of themselves,” and I think that it’s time that we profess this, that we love ourselves and then each other, as both of these, is one; to love ourselves is to love each other and to love each other is to love ourselves and to save ourselves is to remember the future as we mask our way through this turmoil by which we are under siege.
To state it clearly, we need the fulfillment of the scriptures, and it starts with self—the woman in the mirror— are you scared of being bare? Of being a sheep knowing that you’re the one they will try to pull down? Of being fearless because you don’t remember that no one can pull you down?
Ultimately, the girls that I spoke of at the beginning of the chapter are some of the beauties who have been attacked in some way by at least one person at some pivotal point in their lives, which affected their development negatively. They are sometimes blind about their recovery, so they are reckless and unkind to themselves in judgment—in essence—they are carrying guilt, and they are struggling to live, as guilt often brings up the prospect of death—and with this comes fear and anxiety, all which are known to affect judgment.
What heals is connections, as the more support we have, the less likely we will become as described, as love is a great tool for soothing hurt. Indeed, it is better as a prevention from hurt, for prevention is always better than cure. Acceptance is ideal, as accepting oneself and accepting each other are necessary paths to the victory of self-love.
As the world angles towards this approach, it is for each one to teach one and it starts with the individual first, before we can be well as a group. I recommend patience and compassion as these two together are a powerful standard for humanely taking care of someone—are you in? Sad girls demand that you are.

WRITTEN BY

ODETTA FRASER GOD