Black Future

This black history month has felt different from most, at least for me. In living through what seems like the new “normal” where the world does not stop when genocides worldwide are happening, here I am (#freepalestine). While brown people continue to be slaughtered, land continues to be stolen, and the word “freedom” has never been far from true, here I am. While I indulge in the history of my people, here I am creating my own. What black history will I create with my power right now? This is the question that I have found myself asking every day this month. Last year Kanye made a statement about black history month that has sat with me ever since (very controversial conversation, as always), “I need Black Future Month. I need Black Possibility Month”. And while it has always been important to learn about all of the things that the history books left out about our Black history, it is just as important to remember that our bodies are vessels that are here to create more possibilities for our black future. Our black peers are people who possess the power to create great change through their words and social lenses, create movements that fix our communities, build businesses to empower growth amongst us all, and provide endless teachings that influence those who need guidance. This list could go on and on by the way! The approach I took this time around helped me not only to be thankful for all those that paved the way before me, but to also be more intentional about the footprints I’m leaving behind in a world that was not created to protect my own Black future.

A theme that crossed my path quite a lot this month was the idea of centering this month around making sure that Black people feel loved, seen, heard, appreciated, etc. This was not something that I had centered before as “Black History” month always tends to focus more on those who have lived before us or the greats who currently live amongst us. And while we live in a time where our Black history's censorship is at an all time high and our books are being banned in schools/libraries, it should re-iterate how important it is to create such a history that appears to be so threatening to the foundation of white society. If it was not such a threatening history, why is it being hidden from us? And threatening to whom? These are the thoughts that continue to swarm my mind while I sit and watch our world crumble (sorry). I have a few sentiments I will share below on how I showed up in this month with my newly adopted framework on Black History Month:

• In centering the black community this month, I became a vessel of community. Whether through involving myself in black literature, black history conversations, or sharing information through my social media platform that others were not aware of. Also, daily being a champion of promoting anti-racist beliefs and spreading more awareness of the issues that are currently affecting the people of our communities. Just a few to list that you can look further into yourself: Atlanta’s Cop City , Sudan Genocide, Congo Genocide, Banned Black author books.

• In centering black lives this month, I made sure to be a part of the change and give back. Whether through donations to black families/causes in need or giving food out to the homeless after work, I helped to create the future I’d like to see and be a part of. Where To Donate To Support Black Communities, Now & Always.

• In centering black love and appreciation, I only showed up to places where that existed and did not focus my time or energy on the people or places where it did not. In my own personal life, it also looked like me not straying away from the people/places that make my entire black existence feel loved, heard, and appreciated.

• In centering black voices this month, I have spent much time listening to many of our musical artists, poets, and revolutionaries who have and continue to plant seeds that only awaken me more to the state of the world. That I can only hope will awaken us all up a bit more. That I can only hope will get us back to caring for our communities, loving on each other a bit more with grace, and most importantly loving & believing in ourselves enough to believe that we are all worth more than what is being given to us in all areas of our lives.

This month, I did not merely focus on a history that is so traumatically exhausting that it can sometimes take away from the beauty of what people like myself alike are currently creating. It always felt like Black History month became a month where it became a black persons responsibility to show up and teach the history that no one else ever knew existed. To show up for a full month and talk about all the great things that black people never got credit for or to teach people about all of the traumatic experiences that trigger us to this day. And while it seems like a lot of us have seamlessly picked up this responsibility, I am also okay with acknowledging that I was not born and put on this earth to teach people a history that they don’t care to learn on their own. That’s what TV is for, and the internet, and BOOKS. That’s why its important to diversify your social circles, intentionally expand your knowledge outside of your own culture, travel to places outside of what you know, and ask questions! If more people did more of that then black people of the future would not be held with so much responsibility when it comes to teaching others about the black history that we already know!

The last gem that I wanted to share was how I took this month as another reflection period. A period where I reflected about my black life, my contributions, who I am, and how I want to be remembered. I will share a few of my reflections below:

1. Do not make myself little - For anyone. In all of my beautiful and black greatness, I will not forget who I am. I will not make myself smaller to be understood, loved, or accepted. I am deserving of all of these things solely by being exactly who I am. I am not for everyone and that is okay but I will not dim my light to make anyone else feel comfortable with my black greatness.

2. My art is for those who get it - And its okay if that’s not for you! My audience will always find me. The words I share, the stories I share, and the experiences I share will be found by those who need it. My black art and black creativity is a gift to all those that seek it and I will not limit that to the people around me who my art does not serve. I will not base my arts worth on the people it was not made for.

3. I am a gift - My black life is like no other. No one else is like me. I am unique, I am kind, I am loving, I am curious, I am sensitive, and I am all things amazing. I do not seek where I am not appreciated and I do not stay where I do not belong. I am a black gift to all of the people who see the importance of having me in their lives, who know my story, who know what I have come from, and who admire my growth. I am not here to convince anyone otherwise. I attract things that see my black beauty in all of its beautiful madness.

4. I am not here to fit in - I am a multi-faceted black woman. You can not put me into a box. I will never conform to your standards. I will not fit in and pretend to keep peace. I am here to shake shit up, loud and proud. I am here in all of my black rage that shapeshifts with black love, black compassion, and black grief. I am here to do everything they thought I could never do and be everything they never thought I’d be. I am here to break generational curses, take up space, and to set the tone for everyone else black who comes after me.

I’m ending this weeks news letter with a poem I’ve written, inspired by the black experience and created proudly for Black History Month. I hope you enjoy <3

Black Resistance

If you could walk a mile in our shoes, would you truly appreciate the view?

Could you even fathom how many voices it took?

How many lives were lost?

How many days and nights of protests, rebellion, and sweat and tears?

That it took to get this view,

if you could only walk a mile in our shoes.

Sure, things aren’t perfect.

The long term effects of inequality and segregation continue to run its course

Had we only had more opportunities to buy property,

racial redlining messed us up for sure.

Had we had more opportunities to get the help we needed when addiction arose,

our prisons wouldn’t be filled with people who just didn’t know.

Just didn’t have any other outlet to learn from their addiction and grow.

But there was no slap on the hand,

families now broken in our communities because dad was a “bad man”.

Education system doesn’t seem to care to teach us our history.

The work industry didn’t seem to care whether we had equal opportunities to make money,

to be represented,

to be able to contribute to society.

It’s as if we were only considered to be three-fifths of a person.

Well we were considered three-fifths of a person before the amendment was created to “make sure” we were seen as equal.

To make sure that we did indeed have human rights.

So yes, what a sight from this view had you taken a walk in our shoes.

We could go on and on about the inequalities that we face and the work we still have ahead.

But one things for sure, we resist.

As always, till next time with love. RidethaVibe with Dee ❤️