Welcome, Fellow Black Bonnet Girls (BBG),

👋🏾It’s Kiarra — a Black Bonnet Girl learning, unlearning, and softening in real time.
What started as a space for flash fiction stories—tender vignettes capturing the beauty and complexity of life through the lens of Black girls and women—has grown into something more layered. Now, Black Bonnet Girls is a home for both creative storytelling and personal reflection.

Through my Lessons from My 20s series, I’m peeling back the curtain on what it means to grow up, love deeply, heal loudly (or quietly), and navigate the in-between spaces of becoming. Some entries are journal-style letters to myself. Others are fictional windows into truths I’m still learning how to name.

Whether you’re here for the stories or the soul work—or both—this space is for you. For the ones who feel deeply, reflect often, and are learning to give themselves the softness they once denied.

The Blog

New Stories Every Week

Entry 10: From Surviving To Thriving

I think I eased into the land of living when, in 2021, surprisingly, in the midst of the pandemic. I was 21, still unsure about a lot of things, and still worrying about all things, but I felt like I’d lay my hustle down and set it aside. Me surviving is me hustling — to get through the day, to check off the to-dos and the expectations, and carry multiple loads that reach the heavens. It’s the nights I plop into bed feeling mentally exhausted, with each ounce of my bones a

Lessons From My 20s

Kiarra

14 hours ago3 min read

Entry # 9: Success Beyond The Numbers

I used to believe that to be successful, you always had to be “on”. You had to be well put together in body, mind, and soul. You needed both beauty to charm people and the brain to show them there’s more than this pretty face. There was little room for mistakes, and less for vulnerability. What mattered was showing up and bringing results to the table each and every time. I’m learning success goes beyond the numbers — it’s a balance between mind and muscle, brain and hear

Lessons From My 20s

Kiarra

2 days ago2 min read

Entry 8: Anxiety Fuels My Betrayal

Those who know, know. Anxiety is like the best friend you never asked for and the critic over your shoulder that you just can’t shake. My anxiety is sometimes the loud, prominent, and nagging instigator behind self-betrayal. It’s saying no to things I actually do want, to the places I actually do want to go, or the opportunities I do want to explore. Like light dimming to make space for darkness, the inner Yes is shut down by the firm No of my Anxiety.

Lessons From My 20s

Kiarra

4 days ago3 min read

Entry 7: Healing In Progress

Healing is, was realizing that people can’t give what they don’t have. It’s learning — yes, learning as in I’m still doing it — that maybe they gave their best. Maybe I wanted more, or expected more. Love? Attention? Understanding? But it wasn’t in their cup to give.

Lessons From My 20s

Kiarra

May 62 min read

Entry #6: Progressing Rather Than Arriving

I think one of the few things I’ve always been sure of is the uncertainty and unexpectedness of life. I can’t say I truly ever let myself think or feel as if I’ve arrived or finished, because then I’m inviting life to humble me, and show me just how far I have to go.

Lessons From My 20s

Kiarra

May 13 min read

Black girl facing a wall of labels on who people think she is

Entry # 4: Introversion Is Not Less Than

Let’s get right to it, I’m evolving from the idea that if you’re introverted, you’re somewhat less than. Less than what, I’m not quite sure. Maybe less valuable? Less intellectual? Less worthy? Less lovable. Thinking back to movies and stories I’ve seen — you know the ones — introverts are the wallflowers, the ones forgotten or ignored, and who never get to see their day in the spotlight because it wasn’t made for people like us. People — it feels mostly intentional— shame in

Lessons From My 20s

Kiarra

Apr 204 min read

Entry 5: Strength = Survival

Note: Lessons from My 20s is A reflective series by Black Bonnet Girls. Lessons from My 20s is a journal-style series capturing the unfiltered truths, tender moments, and tiny awakenings that come with growing up and growing into yourself. These entries are for anyone who’s ever felt stuck between who they’ve been and who they’re becoming. For the overthinkers, the late bloomers, the quiet dreamers, and the loud feelers. Through storytelling, reflection, and honesty, I ho

Lessons From My 20s

Kiarra

Apr 204 min read

Browse The Blog

“We write for the same reason that we walk, talk, climb mountains or swim the oceans – because we can. We have some impulse within us that makes us want to explain ourselves to other human beings.”
– Maya Angelou

How often do you post?

New posts are shared monthly, sometimes more when inspiration strikes. I encourage readers to subscribe so you never miss a story or reflection.
Can I share or repost your work?

Yes—please feel free to share posts, as long as you credit Black Bonnet Girls and include a link to the original post. For reprints or larger features, please reach out via email for permission.
Who is this space for?

This space is for the Black girls. The introverts. The quiet thinkers. The feelers. The ones who’ve ever been silenced, overlooked, suppressed, or made to feel too much. If you’ve ever felt caught between who you’ve been and who you’re becoming, you belong here. Whether you're navigating your 20s, unlearning survival habits, or rediscovering your voice—welcome. This space was made with you in mind.
Do you accept guest posts?

Yes! If you feel connected to the heart of this space and want to share a story or reflection of your own, I’d love to hear from you. Reach out via email at Kiarra.literary@gmail.com with your idea or draft.
Why did you start Black Bonnet Girls?

I started this blog to create the kind of space I longed for: a space to speak, feel, imagine, and be. It’s where I could tell stories that matter to me and say the things I never said out loud. This blog is my offering—to myself and to others like me.
Are the stories on this site true?

Some are drawn directly from my lived experience. Others are fictional, but emotionally true. Every character I write, I hold close—like chosen family. Either way, every piece is written from the heart. The Lessons from My 20s series are personal essays, and reflective journal-style entries that explore growth, love, healing, heartbreak, fear, and finding my voice are all true and personal.
What is Black Bonnet Girls?

Black Bonnet Girls is a reflective, journal-style blog and storytelling space rooted in honesty, softness, and growth. It’s for the feelers, the overthinkers, and the late bloomers navigating womanhood, identity, and healing—especially through a Black, feminine lens.
Why the name “Black Bonnet Girls”?

The bonnet is a symbol of softness, protection, and heritage—especially in Black womanhood. It cradles our curls, our dreams, and sometimes our tears. “Black Bonnet Girls” is a love letter to that sacred space, and to all the quiet beauty we carry and create.

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The Black Bonnet Girls

The Blog

Entry 10: From Surviving To Thriving

Entry # 9: Success Beyond The Numbers

Entry 8: Anxiety Fuels My Betrayal

Entry 7: Healing In Progress

Entry #6: Progressing Rather Than Arriving

Entry # 4: Introversion Is Not Less Than

Entry 5: Strength = Survival

“We write for the same reason that we walk, talk, climb mountains or swim the oceans – because we can. We have some impulse within us that makes us want to explain ourselves to other human beings.”
– Maya Angelou

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The Blog

Entry 10: From Surviving To Thriving

Entry # 9: Success Beyond The Numbers

Entry 8: Anxiety Fuels My Betrayal

Entry 7: Healing In Progress

Entry #6: Progressing Rather Than Arriving

Entry # 4: Introversion Is Not Less Than

Entry 5: Strength = Survival

“We write for the same reason that we walk, talk, climb mountains or swim the oceans – because we can. We have some impulse within us that makes us want to explain ourselves to other human beings.” – Maya Angelou

Subscribe

“We write for the same reason that we walk, talk, climb mountains or swim the oceans – because we can. We have some impulse within us that makes us want to explain ourselves to other human beings.”
– Maya Angelou