Officially the whole world is under lock down. Many of us have been finding creative ways to retain our sanity amidst this shackling madness! Over the last few weeks, i have touched on topics which i deem important, especially with the current state of affairs. We cannot ignore our most vulnerable.
I am a black woman. I have a roof over my head. I have food in my belly. My bank account is sad as hell, but i am blessed! When i think of my brothers and sisters who lack these necessities, my heart bleeds. My heart bleeds for them, but my heart also bleeds for …US. Yes the black, browns and all other colors considered “inadequate”.
Roughly a week ago…ish. Two french doctors volunteered Africa as a lab rat, waking us up again to the horrors that have befallen and continue to rain on us as people of color. Why this took? I presume it is because they see black and brown people as weak. Why won’t they? When a carefully orchestrated Divide and Conquer strategy has been used; for centuries, to minimize our expression of self, abilities and power.
This bold delivery towards Africa is no different from the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments, the fumigation of Mexicans at the Mexico/USA borders in Texas using poisonous chemicals, the display of Sara Baartman’s mutilated body parts after parading her as a circus act…In short… our struggles are similar and so will our triumphs be. They germinate from one core, they just take different forms.
Why then is there an unsettling discrepancy among ourselves. My focus for now is on the silent cultural divide between Africans on/from the continent v. our brothers and sisters in the diaspora.
This phenomenon nourished by our mutual ignorance and separation from each others experiences cannot be reconciled until it is addressed. As a people we need to grieve each others past, we need to balm each others wounds and then we need to MOVE! We WILL NOT get to where we are going until we understand the “why” behind those differences. Happily though, some effort is being made on both sides of which last years “Year of Return” proved very pivotal in pushing this conversation to the forefront.
My conversation with Professor Mwatabu Okantah in the underlying podcast; a poet who specializes in Pan-African and American Diasporas Studies, discusses this topic. We talk about ways we can achieve this reconciliation. In no way is it expected to happen overnight, but collectively, we have to put in the effort. Every black and brown voice needs to declare its willingness to at least try. That is the only way!
Stay safe, wash your hands, sanitize and for crying out loud… sit your A** at home. :)
