I did the Vagina Monologues for the first time. The experience was unlike any other because the show featured an all women of color cast. Students at Columbia University produced and directed a stunning creative work that captured an expansive audience. The Vagina Monologues is very well known in feminist circles, but I believe that we propelled the iconic show to unrivaled heights.

The response to our show was amazing. Although initially met with controversy, the audience finally understood just how important this show meant to young women of color. All too often we are pushed aside and ignored; our voices have been silenced for centuries through overt aggression and institutional discrimination. We are expected to conform to impossible standards of beauty, while denying our heritage. There are hardly any safe spaces where we can share our experiences in a nonjudgmental community of support, love, and security.

This show…