Introducing "Sword Dispatch: The WkQ Letters"

Welcome to a New Chapter of Resilience, Empowerment, Inclusion, and Resistance.

“Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” — Dr. Maya Angelou

Dear Fellow Warrior,

March has become a month of power, reflection, salvation, and renewal.

As Women’s History Month begins, we commemorate the stories, voices, and resilience of women and children around the world, especially those whose narratives have been overlooked and/or erased.

Coincidentally, with the blessed month of Ramadan, it is also a time for great introspection, discipline, and spiritual clarity for the Muslim, and all those who observe.

Today is also International Women’s Day. A day that not only celebrates the social, political, economic, and cultural achievements of women worldwide, but also mandates a call to action to continue the fight for freedom and equality.

We have a long way to go for gender equality and for a world that truly embraces Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. A world where we all feel a sense of belonging and community. This takes personal initiative and collaboration. We each have a role and a responsibility.

IWD is indisputably a special and perfect time to reclaim space.

That is why I am excited to launch Sword Dispatch: The WkQ Letters, today!

For years, writing has been my way of reclaiming space, whether through academic research, scholarship, activism, advocacy, or just raw confessional storytelling.

Nine years ago, I established that very space.

A space I now call: Chronicles of a Warrior KQueen.

I could write more freely, beyond the rigid academic and professional structures or the noise of social media.

I would describe it as freedom.

A safe space to speak my truth and to speak truth to power. A space where I documented my personal, intellectual, and professional journey through the challenges of my identity intersections, with special attention to mental health and curing stigmas.

It was a place to find and empower my voice.

A space where I could be unfiltered, reflective, and honest about the intersections of identity, empowerment, struggle, resilience, and the neverending battle to be heard, seen, valued, for every element of who we are.

It became a place to nurture the creative side of me.

Sword Dispatch will continue this legacy.

What to Expect From Sword Dispatch: The WkQ Letters

This space will be an atomic newsletter (shorter than this welcoming post), serving as a curator and an evolution of my creative writing, a place where I will share:

• Curated blog pieces from Chronicles of a Warrior KQueen, and from other mediums, including guest pieces from myself and others.

• Personal essays, poetry & reflections on belonging, empowerment, intersectionality, womanhood, and navigating systems of power.

• Unfiltered storytelling that resists invisibility and erasure and embraces authenticity and belonging.

• Creative & personal insights on writing, identity, justice, intersectionality, and the untold narratives.

• All of the above and more!

If you are familiar with my academic newsletter, The Qualitative Inquisition, this space will feel different. It will be more personal, more raw, and more of the Warrior KQueen.

But there will be connections, because my writing and work has always straddled the worlds of academia, practice, and creative arts, as well as real-world experience.

Additionally, if you take a look at The Qualitative Inquisition logo, and the logo for Sword Dispatch, you might notice something - the ‘Q’ is similar and connected. And yes, that was intentional!

There will likely be some cross-promotion between the two spaces, especially where they intersect in my work on arts-based research methods, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and the power of storytelling. Both platforms reflect different facets of my academic journey, and I look forward to weaving those insights together.

So here is a piece honoring that journey of 9 years:

https://www.warrioretkqueen.com/honoring-nine-years-of-the-chronicles-of-a-warrior-kqueen/

Last September, I shared a reintroduction to the Warrior KQueen, where you can learn more about the "alter-persona,” the “mantra,” and the origins of the Warrior KQueen blog:

https://www.warrioretkqueen.com/re-introducing-dr-elsa-the-warrior-kqueen/

You will find relevant YouTube videos for all the different intersections of my portfolio life here: https://www.youtube.com/@drElsaWkQ.

I look forward to linking more videos from my Channel as well, aiming to serve and support others on a similar journey. I have a PhD Journey Series and various other videos on art, mental health, and social justice issues. Please consider subscribing to my YouTube Channel!

Here is a prayer I recently wrote for Ramadan (for the Inward and Outward Revolution):

https://www.warrioretkqueen.com/a-ramadan-prayer-for-the-inward-outward-revolution/

Lastly, here is a poem I wrote just today for International Women’s Day called “How Dare She”:

https://www.warrioretkqueen.com/how-dare-she/

I’m launching the Sword Dispatch now not just for the symbolism of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, but also as an ongoing commitment and statement against erasure, suppression, silence, and invisibility.

And because this is a time for honoring all women’s voices, reclaiming our narratives, and carving out spaces where our truths are not just given a microphone, but genuinely heard and understood.

There will be poetry. There will be painting. There will art. There will be reflections on social justice issues and art connected to social justice. There will be personal essays and storytelling.

All of the above.

If this resonates with you, please stay.

Subscribe. Share.

But most importantly, walk with me.

Join me in this journey of writing, reflection, resistance, and rebellion… through the pen… our weapon, our Sword.

Welcome, fellow warriors, to Sword Dispatch: The WkQ Letters.

Let’s begin!

(Signing off with every post)…

In Solidarity, Peace, Salaam, and Blessings,

Your Sister, Dr. Elsa, Warrior KQueen

“She wasn’t looking for a Knight. She was looking for a Sword.” - Atticus

Read more About Sword Dispatch HERE.

Connect and learn more about My Portfolio Life here: https://linktr.ee/dr.elsatkhwaja