Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty
Kayla Nicole doesn’t owe anybody anything. But on October 9, Travis Kelce’s ex gave us one of the classiest, most accurate responses ever.
With one Instagram video, Michelle Obama‘s “when they go low, we go high” mantra fully entered the social media chat. And while Sis did not have to respond, we’re glad she did. Kayla chose not to speak directly to her critics, but to us Black Girls who often find ourselves in her same (or similar) position.
A position that Kayla didn’t choose.
By now, many have seen the headlines and read about Kayla Nicole. It’s been a few days since we first witnessed the Taylor Swift effect, but we still haven’t fully gotten our timelines back. It all started when the “Karma” singer was spotted attending a Kansas City Chiefs game and leaving with star tight end Travis Kelce, Kayla’ s ex of five years.
Rumor mills and fans went abuzz about the pending possible romance, and now, a few podcast conversations, discarded friendship bracelets, TikTok dances, and boosts in sales later, media is still amazed.
At the same time, another ‘effect’ has been happening alongside Taylor Swift’s. While not as popular or sensational as the other, this ‘effect’ is just as impactful.
Without her prompt or request, Kayla Nicole began facing backlash with critics comparing her to Taylor. The fitness guru became the topic of thought pieces, social media posts, and GroupMe chats. Her former relationship with Kelce, morality, and looks were instant conversation topics, and her Blackness was questioned.
Source: Joe Scarnici / Getty
RELATED: Who Is Kayla Nicole? Travis Kelce’s Beautiful Black Ex-Girlfriend
While it can be challenging to imagine how this unsolicited commentary directly affected (and is still affecting) Kayla, as Black women, we do know how it feels to be unprotected. And breaking the silence after endless comment sections and naysayers, the 31-year-old spoke to us all on social media.
Kayla Nicole penned a letter called “Dear Black Girl.”
Kayla read her letter on Instagram. Poised in front of a camera, she wore a crisp white button-down blouse, gold accessories, and belted denim jeans. Her hair was styled in a wavy bob, and her makeup was minimal, complete with the brown-liner, clear gloss combo.
“Dear Black girl, they may call you a traitor for falling in love. You’ll hope the ones closest will protect you, but you will quickly find out that people don’t protect what they don’t value. They’ll say you’re too much, too provocative, too boisterous, too outspoken. And in the same breath, tell you that you are not enough. Not successful enough, not wholesome enough, maybe not even intelligent enough,” Kayla emphasizes.
She then continues, “They’ll say you deserve the backlash and embarrassment because of your Blackness. You should have known better. They’ll even try to tie your value to your net worth. But Black girl, please remember your value lies elsewhere. Your value is deep within your heart. The way you love, the way you give. Your value is in your resilience.”
Kayla says she penned the letter to elevate and unite Black women. It’s almost as if by expressing her emotions about what has happened to her, around her, and about her within the past few weeks, Kayla is sounding the alarm on what Black women deal with every day. We applaud her for her vulnerability and candidness.
Kayla calls on society to do more – protecting, supporting, and loving – of Black women. We couldn’t agree more. Thank you, Black Girl!
Hear more of Kayla Nicole’s letter below.
