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The “Strength of a Woman” digital cover for Ebony magazine’s May issue shows cover star Viola Davis, in all of her Black woman grace and beauty.
Upon delving into the in-depth and personal interview piece, penned by former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Davis shows why she’s one of the most respected and successful stars in the entertainment business today.
In the follow up to her intimate sit-down with Oprah ahead of her memoir Finding Me, released April 26, Davis told Lance Bottoms of the powerful journey that came with telling her story.
“It was emotional because when you write it, you feel the moments that were and are still very painful. Then you see the moments that were also filled with strength and resilience,” she said.
While Lance Bottoms says that as a Black woman, she connected with the book in a particular way, Davis emphasized her mission to write a story for everyone.
“I did this to give people a great dose of truth,” she said. “Yes, I have so-called made it to the ‘mountaintop,’ but not without scars and bruises.”
Throughout the piece, Davis shares personal thoughts on the trauma re-lived while writing, struggles with health and stress, and her family: her parents, husband, and daughter Genesis, whom they adopted in 2011.
“That’s the hardest part of parenting,” Davis proclaims. “It’s impossible to protect your kids from the world. The only thing that I could do is give her what is in me.”
Early on in the piece, Lance Bottoms admits she can’t quite find the words for her “genuine” and “magical” conversation with Davis. But attempting to summarize her experience, she quotes the late, great Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you did, but not how you made them feel.”
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