As Theresa tha SONDBIRD so eloquently said "Black...is hard to do. She masterfully speaks about Blackness - when it feels good and when it feels bad. I've mentioned before, growing up Black on the Eastern Shore made me the race equity champion I am today. The commitment I bring to this work was both shaped by inspiration from my parents and racist encounters, primarily with "well intended" white folks. At home mom said things like any chance you get in school to do a report or a project on a Black person you do it. They don't teach it in school. Then I'd go to school and have teachers or guidance counselors comment on how I wasn't like the other students "from my area". In fact, one librarian was brazen enough to directly say I wasn't like the other Black students. I was so angry that she felt comfortable to say that to me. It really angered me that I didn't call her out on her racist bs. I did however, start spending my lunchtime in the library working on a project and that same school year my project, which was a massive photo display of prominent Black figures, along with their bios, became what is still the annual celebration of Black History Month at the school.
So why Black for Life as a lifestyle? A lifestyle is the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level, etc. that together constitute the general mode of living of an individual or group. While I don't believe Black people are a monolith there are common shared experiences that most of us have or will have in our lifetime because we're Black in America. That however, wasn't the reason I decided on Black for Life is a lifestyle. What truly prompted Black for Life was the realization that "the struggle" that we have embraced as real and authentic to Black experience is in fact fabricated. The struggle and hard times that have become synonymous with Black life steal from our happiness and don't have to be.
“ to undo what has been done, we must first understand what has been done". - Ronald Chisom
Ron Chisom of The People's Institute for Survival & Beyond once said in a conversation with me "to undo what has been done, we must first understand what has been done". The struggle, the hood, the narrative of the welfare queen, police brutality, poverty, etc. are spoken about as part of the Black experience as if it were a naturally occurring incident. Strange fruit is not natural and when a tree is producing sick fruit, we must check the roots and soil to ensure the tree is being properly fed. Roots that are malnourished die and a tree without roots cannot survive. For the last three years, I have felt like I was dying. I have grown tired of wearing the mantel of a strong black woman, of being "the black friend", of being a social determinant of health stat, and certainly of the rat race.
Black for Life is liberation because it offers a freedom from limitations on my thoughts and behavior. It embraces the values of the Nguzo Saba and in doing so further enhances my humanity through service to community. It's a mindset built on collective impact. Most importantly, it is my guide to transition from just living life to living life by divine design.
Yorumlar