A COLORLESS TOMORROW does not mean A FLAVORLESS ONE
So there I was in 2018,
with my love and his family in Senegal
It was everything I imagined it to be,
my soul was at peace in a way that I have not experienced before. The overwhelming sensation that I was home-
connected to a place that gave me peace.
It was about day four, when we were walking up a slight hill towards another family members home.
As usual I am trailing behind taking it all in.
I felt a chill rush through my body —
It was HOT as hell that day
this chill was odd
Blew right through me
“ What the fuck was that?” I asked myself.
I was discombobulated- briefly disorientated.
I patting myself down- I felt stripped of something and within seconds my body recalibrated.
I was stripped of the protective armor, that I innately have on all the time in America — just thought it was me- who I was naturally.
Never thought much about it, or what its function was.
I looked behind me,
It was like, broken pieces of armor just laying on the ground behind me - and I got a chance to see this protection for what it was, for the first time.
I felt naked — and lighter
It was as if the motherland herself said,” oh- you won’t be needing these here.”
Taking a good look at this armor, I recognized that it was not only protecting my outside — it was protecting my essence at the core —my purpose.
Who am I without this armor?
I am a lot of things — because it was never there to define me — just to protect me.
As a consequence, it became a part of my identity but clearly — I did not need it ….at all here.
My racialized reality in America did not exist here — other realities are here such as classism, sexism, and other ism’s but not race. Not at the level in America.
Briefly I stood there and imagined,
What If I had no America to go back to ? What would I do with my experiences ? I would probably open up a museum or art gallery or even teach. I would adapt to my new life with newer realities — because my racialized armor is not me at my core.
Yes, you are absolutely correct
The concept of “black” and “White” is a social construct, made up —
but
it was put into play and is not imaginary
The Black Experience is very real — Alive and kicking. The Anti-blackness agenda -speaks for itself.
Can “Black people” live and operate outside of the paradigm of race ?
Hells yeah!
Who would want to live with this burden of racialized realities ?
Spending our lives accomplishing bigger goals — fulfillment -
solving bigger problems —
getting up from under this one — — — -
we are highly adaptable people — and after all, black is a social construct.
Operating in a colorless world, does not mean it is a flavorless one.
It is not at our core — we have other world problems to solve
but we are reminded everyday — for it is our children that are being killed off So the armor protects.
As a consequence, we spend life times trying to figure this problem out — and it is not even our problem-
it is not a natural problem — it is a made up one.
Nor is it the essence of who we are as a people — we literally have bigger fish to fry,
Solving the problems that extend outside of the fear of loosing our children — family members and our jobs if when we speak about it.
It is a distraction from frying your bigger fish. you must know that and make adjustments.
On the other hand,
Could America and other nations exist without race — —?
Which is at the core of their very existence — foundational.
Who would America be outside of that paradigm? Any ideas?
