An ODE TO BLACK FOLKS

November 2020

As we await the decision of who will be the 46th president-elect of the US, I have heard a lot of “I’m shocked, or I can’t believe.” For folks who are othered by white supremacy, these statements are laughable at best. I also get curious about what folks who have white identity thought they were supposed to do in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder. Like what exactly did you think, “The Work was.” The work always has and will permanently be dismantling white supremacy and the systems upheld by it. Including our “democracy.” I use that term loosely because a decision that can be overturned by something like the electoral college does not a democracy make. 

If you’re like me, you know that the work continues. Especially for those of us who exist in Black Bodies. My wish for you, Black folks, is safety. I love you, and I feel in the depths of my spirit the exhaustion that comes from the finger-pointing of “not all white people.” Besides resting, I want to remind you that while your existence has been eclipsed by whiteness. You deserve joy, you deserve stability, and you deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing America is not for us to save. 

HIghly Favored

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole: I devoured this book in one delightful sitting. For folks who have lived in neighborhoods that have been gentrified and for folks who have been the ones do the gentrification. This thriller is a portrait of us vs. them outlook, a binary way of thinking that enables us to repeat history. Mostly this book felt like a rallying cry to make a concerted effort to understand the gravitas of our intentions.