Soft Power: strength that whispers

I feel like I grew up watching soft power before I even knew what to call it.

My mom had this way of making hard things look normal. No speeches. No big announcements. She just handled it. If something broke, it got fixed. If somebody needed help, she was already there. She was really the one holding everything together, and she did it without needing credit for it.

And now watching Anna step into motherhood, it is the same thing. That same steady presence. That same calm strength. Quiet, but you feel it.

To me, soft power is when someone can shift the whole room without raising their voice. Not because they are loud, but because they are solid. They move with wisdom, timing, and intention.

The Bible is full of women like that.

Esther saved her people without forcing anything. She moved smart. She knew when to speak and when to wait, and that strategy changed everything.

Deborah was a leader and a prophet. People trusted her because she had presence and direction. She did not need to prove anything.

Mary carried the biggest assignment ever, and she did it in obedience. No applause. No validation. Just purpose.

That is soft power.

It is not about who talks the most. It is about who gets things done.

I know this is a sharp transition, but follow me. Lol.

Monet from Power moves like that. She is not always the loudest one, but everything runs through her. People think they can play her or underestimate her, and she is already five steps ahead. She does not need to announce she is in charge. She just is.

And honestly, I see that same energy in Black women everywhere.

The grandmothers who prayed us through. The moms who made sure we ate, even when money was tight. The women behind the scenes in rooms where decisions get made, making things happen without needing to be the face of it.

It was never about volume. It was always about impact.

This is my first personal project of the year, and I wanted it to mean something. I wanted my return to shooting to feel like home.

So I shot it somewhere that reminds me of where I grew up. Brooklyn.

This is a tribute to the kind of power that does not need validation to exist.

Because the loudest person in the room is not always the one in control.

Real power moves quiet.