Why Black People Will Never Be Free
Ok, so the title is a little extreme. The truth is you are whatever you believe. But on the day that is representative of our liberation from slavery, Juneteenth, I wanted to acknowledge a few of the psychological chains we have that still keep us bound.
Cookouts
Why was I not invited to NO Juneteenth cookout?? This is actually what sparked today’s topic because I am lowkey really upset about this. Where else would it be socially acceptable for me to get a hamburger and hot dog free of judgment? When else do I have the opportunity to eat baked beans, potato salad, pasta salad and baked spaghetti in one sitting? Where else do I get to sit at the kids table? Where else do I get to choose between Dr. Pepper and Dr. Perky? Mountain Dew and Mountain Lion? We’re losing recipes!
But seriously though, why have we as a people decided to stop gathering and having cookouts like we used to? The obvious answer would be the economy, but that can’t be the only reason being that we have never had an economy set up for us to win. The racial wealth gap has persisted for more than 150 years. In 1976, the home ownership gap was 25 percent, while in 2022 the gap grew to 30 percent. Black communities have decades of history of being destroyed, displaced and trashed yet we still have made way to gather throughout all of this. So what is it really? I think it’s because we have lost our sense of community. We have become so individualistic as a whole, only focusing on how we can make sure “our people” are straight. I understand it, especially in this economy, but we are too far behind as a people to give up on each other. We can’t afford to not pour back into our communities, we can’t afford to not gather with each other and learn from each other and share experiences, we can’t afford to only fend for ourselves. We still are being killed for just being black, we still are being denied jobs for just being black, we still are being attacked for just being black, we still are being raped for just being black, we still are being put in jail just for being black, we still are being judged for just being black. Not much has changed today aside from the ways racism and prejudice is expressed. We don’t have the upper hand in society by a long shot and we have to remember that our ancestors' diligence in fighting for each other and sticking together is what got us this far in the first place. We have to work to preserve the community that was built for us many (but, not that many) years ago. Losing our sense of community is exactly what they want because they know what it means for them when we are all on one accord.
2. Deposits
Deposits are ruining the black community. I used to be able to walk in a salon, no appointment or deposit, and walk out with a silk press for $60! This is getting ridiculous. You need a deposit for everything! All these hidden fees we have created are holding us back. Why am I paying a squeeze in fee when you have the time available? Why are you charging me for how the hair grows out of my head? Why am I paying extra for having thick hair? I’m sorry, I’m just tired of coming to hair appointments with my hair already done! I don’t think God intended for us to function this way lol.
3. Sankofa
Sankofa is a Twi word from the Akan people of Ghana that means "to go back and get it". It comes from the Akan proverb, "Se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenkyiri," which means "It is not taboo to go back for what you forgot (or left behind)" I learned this word in “Communications & The Black Diaspora” with Dr. Kopano, my freshman year of college (one of the most impactful classes I’ve ever taken). The phrase is a reminder that you can’t move forward without knowing where you came from, that you don’t really know who you are unless you know your past. It suggests that if we move forward without proper acknowledgement of our past we are bound to repeat it. I don’t think we do a good enough job of remembering where we came from. We don’t make education of our history important enough to our babies. We don’t really explain the gravity of what our people went through, nor the depth of the trauma that still affects us to this day.This is such a dangerous quality to possess in a society that is committed to erasing the history we do know about. A society that makes it its mission to go forward without ever having to talk about the elephant in the room, no matter how much space it takes up. It may be a trauma response that makes us not talk about what our ancestors went through, but it is our job to make sure we talk about it anyway. If we don’t make sure we are educated, who will? We have to learn our history, so that it can’t be erased or forgotten. We have to learn from our history, so that it is not repeated. We have to grow from our history to truly understand that the more things change, the more they stay the same. You are your ancestors, and you won’t get that until you dive into the richness of your history, beyond oppression.
4. 50-50/Provider Talk
This conversation is so divisive to the black community. Why is something so trivial causing so much havoc? Is that intentional? Are these discussions keeping us from talking about more important issues? Like, young black girls being kidnapped every day, or black people still being poisoned by lead when we are spending billions to fund wars or the fact that America is in a literacy crisis, or that only 6% of college professors are black or that only 34% of us have college degrees. Why are we using ALL of our platforms to magnify discussions of preference when we are in this much danger? Why is this the only topic that can get your clicks (when you can just choose to involve yourself with people who want what you want)? Everything is intentional and we have to pay attention to the ways we are susceptible to be used as puppets.
Initially when I was deciding what I wanted to talk about I was going to take an even more serious approach. As a community, we have a lot of work to do. But, so does every community. I want to be clear about where we can be better, but it didn’t feel right to take a day meant for celebration and turn it completely into an opportunity for correction. So today, I choose to celebrate all the amazing things that we are and that we have created, in spite of a painful history, in spite of the fact that we have a long way to go. I celebrate every victory, every triumph, every moment in time that proved to us who we were. We are the most creative, hilarious, intelligent, driven, and authentic group of people you will ever have the pleasure of knowing. A group that is committed to perseverance, excellence and growth. A group that understands the pressure of a diamond like no one else. The most diverse group of people, you will never meet the same person twice. The Blueprint. Every encounter with us is a blessing. Every conversation with us is a privilege. Anything done well in history has our name all over it. We are what everyone wants to be. I love us and all of our deposits, grass-wall brunches and 50-50 debates.
