Welcome to Black History Month
It’s Black History Month in the U.S., which means that the world at large has the inevitable opportunity to be exposed to Blackness whether by the Black community online or by those that choose to speak on it. We are undeniably living in the end times, but that needn’t be defined by nihilism or fatalism. It is the end of the world as we know it but for the fact that we live in a world dominated by oppression, slavery, rape, extortion, and exploitation, I welcome this change. When we operate within the framework of the Infinite, we acknowledge that death is but new life. 2020 is fertile ground for seeding & cultivating non-violent revolution that brings the systems of tyranny oppressing us to its knees. As the world most literally is burning and the resources necessary for Life on Earth are being hoarded , it is an undeniable fact that the environmental terrorism wreaked by capitalism most violently impacts people of color, specifically those Black and indigenous cultures that white supremacy seeks to wipe out. For this reason, this Black History Month must be the loudest, most vibrant, most righteous to date, leaving absolutely no stone of degradation and debasement unturned, be it physical, ideological, spiritual or otherwise. For this reason, I will unapologetically speak on my lived experiences of Blackness in order to share my conception through my existence. My honesty, openness, & vulnerability is an intentionally radical act to remove the gatekeepers of Blackness who weaken us as a unit and discredit our human rights by perpetuating white supremacist ideology.
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I often create self-portraits featuring me with green skin & pink hair. The reason for this being that I see mySelf as a spiritual & ideological alien, and this portrayal appeals to me at my core. For some time, I stopped doing this because I felt it important to portray Black figures in my art as an opposition to the domination of whiteness in the institution of (visual) art. I now feel that I’ve transcended that practice.
I feel that before going any further, I must identify mySelf that others may not take up that responsibility for me. I identify as a Black, non-binary, pansexual femme; a multidisciplinary creative and revolutionary; and as a High Priestess of the Divine Feminine and a practicing witch. These are just some of my identities, but who I am is so complex that were I to constantly attempt to define this miracle of existence, I’d waste all of it doing so.
As a factor of my non-binary identity & philosophy, I must openly accept that my self-expression is molded by and only impactful because of the context of the society in which I live. I acknowledge that I am incalculably more than the simplifications of human expression created by our current paradigm which is why I reject the ideological binary. I also acknowledge the reality of this expression being a facet of my existence in this paradigm. Salience is the measure of visibility or prominence something has. I am shaped by my being Black because the creation of race makes it super salient at this time. I am shaped by my being AFAB because the creation of Abrahamic patriarchy makes it super salient at this time. I am shaped by my being attracted to energy & Spirit regardless of physical manifestation because of hetero-patriarchy. I am shaped by the systems that dominate our lives that serve to shift the narrative of my lifestyle to tell the story of the times.
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The gatekeepers of Blackness idealize a monolithic expression of Blackness that is centered in the Black American experience, created in the image of the white society that presupposes it. This perpetuates white supremacy & colonialism in centering America as the social norm and Blackness as inherently “other”. This strips away our humanity, ascribing a supernatural and/or savage nature to Black people that — whether in reverence or disdain (generally both)— that robs us of the opportunity simply Be, or exist in the fullness of who we are without projections warping that.
We are products of our material circumstances, so the idea that my being ethnically Black means that I like or dislike certain things is very literally unfounded. Having been denied my Black identity for being first-generation Liberian-American, growing up in the suburbs, being a sensitive creative, aesthetically alternative, I advocate for the destruction of the toxic idea of a personality norm. Moreover, I take up the mantle of advocating for the inclusion of ALL Black bodies, not just cis or heterosexual-identifying. In terms of Black liberation, the nuances of my identity should not take precedence over my civil rights, especially because I didn’t choose those lifestyles any more than I chose to be Black. If you claim to be an advocate and warrior for Black lives, then you must remain as such for ALL Black lives. Full stop.
Yes, I speak out against the idea of whiteness & the system of white supremacy, but I will speak out on injustice anywhere I see it. I will speak out against the hypocrisy of the Black community that operates as a perpetuation of whiteness and—unchecked— makes many Black people hate & shun their Blackness. I will hold our community accountable, because I have refused to be barred from any realm I deem mySelf worthy of holding. I know that my expression is innately valid simply for the fact that regardless of how near or far I may stray from the prescription of identity ascribed to being culturally or racially Black, I am still inescapably Black.
I am empowered & emboldened by my Black ancestors whose blood runs hot in my veins. I am sustained emotionally & spiritually by my predecessors who incited revolution on both large & small scales, which uplifts me ideologically & physically. I am inspired by my parents who came to this country as immigrants, seeking safety and their own fortune. I am empowered by my grandparents, who watch over, guide, and protect me. I am emboldened by my slave ancestors who left America and returned to the Grain Coast, leaning into their opportunity for liberation (despite their own practices of colonization). I am impassioned by the forerunners of Black liberation from Harriet Tubman to Marcus Garvey to Audre Lorde to Malcolm X and so on.
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I am a radical. I believe that existing proudly in Blackness is a radical act in and of itself. I believe that proud Black femmes are the most punk people on the planet. To effect change, I believe one must hold and express radical ideas or there would be no driving force. But when we look at what being radical is in the world today — it is basic human decency and respect, acknowledging that every one of us is invaluable to the Collective. To bring love into a world of division and fear requires being radical.
With this understanding, I invite you to be radical. I invite you to be radically compassionate by leaving room in your head and your heart for unconditional love; to take in ideas with the intention of radical comprehension, allowing yourSelf to hold a new and perhaps challenging idea without immediate rejection but gradual transformation; and to communicate radically by employing non-violent communication techniques.
I will say some things that may not sit with ease in your ideas of what was, is, and will be. But I invite you to sit with this discomfort, process these ideas, and open yourSelf to fostering a heart-centered dialogue that expands us as a human collective. I intend to let no conversation about Black identity, about the advancement of humanity on this planet, of what the future may hold be exempt of the very foundational ideas of human empathy and connectivity that are core to unification and appear as surprising, radical propaganda in a society that decries such things. I hope that you join me and I look forward to weathering these trying times with you through the lens of **my** Blackness.