Normalizing Anger in Times of Injustice

Your rage is not a problem — it’s a response to something real.

Lately, I’ve been hearing it more and more from clients, followers, and friends: “I’m not just sad — I’m angry.” And I want to say: Good. You’re allowed to be. You’re supposed to be.

In moments like this — when we’re witnessing our people being detained, dehumanized, and erased — anger is not just valid. It’s wise. It’s protective. It’s sacred.

We are watching ICE raids tear families apart. We’re watching protestors — especially Black, Brown, and queer voices — be silenced. We’re watching the ongoing devastation in Gaza and across Palestine. And we’re being told to stay calm. To stay composed. To “not be too emotional.”

But anger is not the opposite of healing. It’s part of it.

Anger is a Trauma Response

When we feel unsafe, unseen, or helpless, our nervous system reacts. For some of us, that looks like fear or collapse. For others, it looks like fire. Rage. Shaking hands. Tight jaws. Raised voices.

This is your body trying to protect you. It’s your spirit refusing to go numb.

Especially in BIPOC communities, we’ve often been told that anger makes us “dangerous,” “unprofessional,” or “ungrateful.” But the truth is — anger is a signal that something sacred to you is being violated.

Your anger is a boundary. It’s a form of love. It means you care.

What if We Stopped Shaming Anger?

You can be angry and still be grounded. You can be furious and still lead with compassion. You can feel rage and still hold space for tenderness.

Anger is not something to fix — it’s something to listen to.

And if your anger is showing up before your tears, that’s okay too. That’s your nervous system doing its job.

Let’s stop asking ourselves or each other to “calm down” before we’ve had space to be witnessed. Let’s stop gaslighting our own emotions to appear more acceptable. Let’s honor our anger — not weaponize it, but transform it.

Because anger, when held in community, becomes clarity. It becomes movement. It becomes medicine.

You Are Not Too Much

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with emotion right now — if your chest is heavy or your jaw aches or your fists clench just reading the news — I want you to know:

There is nothing wrong with you. You are not overreacting. You are responding to something real.

Let’s keep building spaces where our anger can exist without shame. Where our rage is not feared but understood. Where we remember: We are not alone. We are not broken. We are healing — juntxs.