🌻 Grace in the Grit: Raised in the Hood, Rooted in Excellence

Simply Flava | Deep Topic

I was raised in the working-class section of the hood — where people got up early, worked hard, and made something out of nothing.

We didn’t have excess, but we had expectation.

You respected your elders.

You didn’t come outside looking sloppy.

You handled your business and held your word.

That was my foundation.

And even though my zip code said “hood,” my standards said “excellence.”

Because the people around me — my parents, my godmother, my community — carried themselves like royalty with calloused hands. They believed dignity wasn’t about where you lived, but how you lived.

💪 The Duality of My Roots

That’s the part some people don’t get about me.

I can chop it up with the people on the block and hold my own in a professional space — because I came from both.

The hood taught me grit.

My mentors taught me grace.

And that combination built the woman I am today.

I’m not bougie — I’m balanced.

I carry myself the way I was taught to.

If that feels different, that’s okay — it’s supposed to.

🌻 Excellence Is My Legacy

See, excellence doesn’t mean perfection.

It means doing what you can with what you have — and still doing it well.

It means showing up even when life tries to knock you down.

It means staying rooted in pride, discipline, and kindness when the world feels loud and careless.

So yes, I was raised in the hood.

But don’t get it twisted — I was raised right.

And I’ll always honor that.

Simply Flava by Lady Flava

Storytelling with Heart, Truth & Flava