Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Green.
Hi Melissa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I am a corrections wife and mother of three sons, who, after the death of Tamir Rice, decided that we could no longer wait and hope for the change we need to see. At some point, our silence became violent, so I decided to use my voice as loudly as possible, as a catalyst for change.
Being raised in a far-right, extremist cult that falls under the evangelical Christian nationalist umbrella, makes one much more sensitive to suppressive and oppressive tactics, used by people and systems of authority in power, to silence the voices of the people whose lives are affected the most.
I consider myself a new voice of Appalachia. A voice that represents much more than a small minority, and sets the tone for the direction we would like to see Appalachia move toward. Many of us envision an LGBTQIA+-friendly Appalachia, that works for all parts of our society, not just cis-gendered, heterosexual, white Christian men. We are not anti-law enforcement, we are anti-police brutality. We recognize the militarization of our law-enforcement sector and dare to challenge its reach and authority.
The Appalachians have a different way of thinking about things, and a fierce defense for people’s right to live their life the way they choose, not the way the church or the government tells them, which is why moonshining is still so prevalent here today. We refuse to accept tyranny. We are a revolution all its own, and we intend to leave Appalachia better and more inclusive than we found it. We are a new breed, we aren’t your momma’s Appalachia.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I am the youngest child and grandchild of a coal-mining family. We all grew up poor. So much so that few of us had health or dental insurance for the entirety of our childhood, and yard sales are where 95% of my school clothes originated.
At the age of three, I became a childhood sexual abuse survivor, at the hands of one of my relatives. She molested me until I was 10 years old. 1992 was a very tumultuous year in my life. During that year, I was raped by three more of my male relatives, stealing my virginity. The abuse was something that everyone in my family knew about, but no one talked about. There were never any repercussions for the abusers.
I gave birth to my oldest son, three months before my 16th birthday, and married my husband one month prior to delivery. We were so in love and determined to build families that were different than the ones we came from, and we’ve done exactly that. We will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in May.
We both experienced entirely too much abuse, in a variety of formats, and no one ever defended either of us as children. That fact plays the biggest part in why I am such a fierce advocate. I don’t want anyone to ever feel the way that I felt knowing that the very people who should have died to defend me, knew about my abuse, had regular interaction with my abusers, yet instructed me to be silent. When I told my father about the abuse, he advised me that my aunt, the mother of my abuser, “already has a very difficult life. You don’t want to make it harder for her than it already is.“ Nothing was ever said.
I have the honor of being a momma to a very special young man who is on the autism spectrum. I always strive to be the best advocate I can be for him and anyone else who needs one.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
From 2018-2021, I was a practicing makeup artist and worked in direct sales, building and managing a team of more than 6000 beauty influencers. This profession gave me the opportunity to travel fairly extensively as well as internationally, which only broadened my knowledge base. Lived experiences teach us things textbooks and YouTube videos could never. I left the field due to intense time constraints and burnout.
Since 2021, and prior to 2018, I have worked and still work in the banking/financial sector full-time.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I have always been captivating, I’m told. According to my parents, I met every milestone ahead of schedule and was described as precocious. Apparently, they have always known my ability to lead due to every room taking notes when I enter. I began kindergarten at 4 years old and had already learned to read prior to entering school. I have one sibling, and an older brother, Calvin, who passed out of leukemia in 2012. We were polar opposites, but very close. His death changed me in the most intimate of ways.
I am generally an optimistic, silver-lining girl, but I also have no issue speaking hard truths. I have been told I have a powerful presence and can not be missed when I’m in attendance.
I have always been interested in justice, whether that was in school, in my personal life, concerning animals, or in any other setting. I have always paid specific attention to systems that benefit some while harming others, and I’ve always been a voice for their removal.
I love people, always have, and can talk to anyone about anything. Hard topics are where I tend to shine. My goal is never to persuade or convince, but to explain why I see it the way I do, while also listening to the same from other people. In doing so, I’ve learned we, people as a whole, are far more alike than different, and can almost always find a common ground in every conversation.
I want to make people think WHY they feel as they do, as that is usually the first step in growth. The only competition I have is the person I was yesterday. I’m just trying to be the best possible version of myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: Https://msha.ke/officialmelissagreen
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/thefearlessqueenmel?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TooFabForWords?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Twitter: www.Twitter.com/TheFearlessQueenMel
