Experience 26 | Unveiling Trauma
Passion for history runs through my veins, especially the enthralling narrative of #Black people across the #diaspora.
Graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I nabbed an African-American studies minor by devouring every AFAM and African Studies course. This allowed me to stack credits and absorb information that spoke to my soul.
Opportunity knocked with a trip to Louisville, where I hung out with a friend and knew I had to swing by the Muhammad Ali Museum.
Ali never held my attention, yet the allure of Black history tugged me in. My heart beats for those who leverage their spotlight for #Blackpeople's cause. So, paying homage at a museum celebrating such a man seemed fitting. Little did I anticipate that I'd walk out with not only a deepened self-awareness but also newfound admiration for Ali.
The museum unfurled Ali's multifaceted essence. Beyond his boxing prowess, he was an artist, wordsmith, and justice crusader. During an exhibit video, a man's words hit me like a thunderbolt. He cherished Ali not only for his physical feats but for his audacious stance on his convictions. Ali's unapologetic loudness, his unyielding confidence—it all struck a chord. Why? Because, like so many Black individuals, he had been schooled to silence his voice, bow his head, follow orders, and never question authority—particularly that of the white establishment.
Damn, that hit hard.
My struggle with self-expression resonates deeply. Like the man in the video, I was trained to be meek, only speaking when spoken to, and refraining from challenging authority. Despite growth and evolving times (even if just a smidge), I realized I was channeling a #JimCrowNegro mindset. My throat chakra remained closed, unaware that advocating for my people meant standing tall and speaking out.
It dawned on me—I was still shadowed by the ghosts of slavery and Jim Crow. Shockingly, we, the #Black community, unconsciously keep these oppressive legacies alive, passing them down to our children.
A weighty epiphany it was, one I'm still parsing five months on. Likely, this unraveling will thread its way through my years.
Post-museum pilgrimage, I vowed to pause, dissect my actions. I query: Am I inadvertently fueling white supremacy? Is this my chance to raise my voice? WWAD—What Would Ali Do?
Lesson 28 | Dismantle white supremacy, within and without. We're quick to point out how the dominant culture subjugates us, yet do we spot how we inadvertently do the same? As you navigate your day, making choices, casting judgments, ponder how you unconsciously reinforce white privilege. Ponder—Who deemed vibrant prints unprofessional? Who ruled against nose rings in corporate settings? Who branded "skreet" and "skrawberry" as incorrect? Many don't grasp our culture, our history, our dialects. Explore white privilege, identify its tendrils in your life, and cease perpetuating it—rooted in capitalism and white supremacy.
#soul2soles #whiteprivilege #respectibilitypolitics