Black People, Please Don’t Go Numb

Dearest Black people, my people, I love you so incredibly much, and I honestly don’t say it enough. I used to say it a lot actually. So much so that it would even bother people . . . and although I’ve never stopped, I have begun to wrongly view my own expression of Black love or Black pride as a bit cliche. You have to understand that it’s quite numbing to have your love for something be so expected of you. Not to mention it being hella exploited by the rest of the world too. It feels as if all of the power has been sucked out of it like a chore.

 Like when you were about to clean your room without anyone asking but before you could even begin, your mama demands it of you. You still clean your room anyway, but it just doesn’t feel the same. I want for us Black people to be able to love ourselves without feeling numb to it. 

Even Black History Month feels strange to celebrate this year for me. As a result of all of the racial attention that Black people have been subjected to, the rest of the world seems to be looking at us, prompting us, waiting for us to put on a show flaunting our greatness as they watch on and pity clap. It’s just the feeling. 

Are we supposed to quit honoring our great ancestors just because our celebration is being micromanaged? Should we not continue to print “Melanin Queen” on our garments, just because those are now profitable Black dollar worthy words. Must we quit using our voices on the issues that are impacting our communities, just because there are so many other voices speaking on the same things? 

The answer is no. Black people, please don’t go numb.

 I know that it gets to be tough but there are things that we can do to keep ourselves grounded, connected, and full of self-appreciation. We have definitely earned it, and it’s ours to have. Let’s keep it that way. 

1. REMEMBER THE “WHY”
2. REMEMBER THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE IS UNIQUE
3. CHANNEL YOUR CREATIVITY

Remember The “Why“

Before you go numb, remember why you use your energy, your voice, and your platform to outwardly express love for your people/history in the first place. What would happen if you stopped? How will the next generations know of all of our stories if you became too numb to continue to tell them? Although our intentions have never been to entertain others, we must be more inspired by our end goals than what others will choose to make of us reaching them. I continue to speak up and make my roots present in everything that I do because the bottom line is that I would hope for my kids and the kids of my kids to know that they come from cultural richness. Enough work is being done on the outside to eradicate our greatness, so I think the least we could do is remember the bigger picture enough to not go numb. Whew! That was a mouthful but I think we all have a greater sense of “the why” and it’d be amazing if we could tap into it more. 

Remember That Your Experience is Unique

It is easy to go numb when you feel like “enough” is already being done. Personally I’ve seen an overwhelming number of people of other races expressing their solidarity and allyship for example. Although we can deeply appreciate these efforts, we can’t let them make us feel as if our voices no longer have a space that counts. We shouldn’t be feeling like we’re being drowned out and not being heard in the matters of our own issues. Our experiences as Black people are unique and that’s why our presence and expressions in these things matter. Maybe it’s true that people are expecting you to speak about Black issues, and maybe you are just tired of it all, but if not you . . . then who? Anyone can, but as we have seen, not everyone will do so with good intentions. Please don’t go numb!

Finally, Channel Your Creativity

Things are going to get repetitive. Depending on who you are, you might begin to get tired of seeing Martin Luther King Jr. quotes printed on T-Shirts and being targeted directly at you. You might get tired of seeing natural hair and dark skin being obviously included as part of some PR stunt for “representation.” You might even get sick of Black owned businesses everywhere selling the same prideful missions. Love for Black people and Black culture is the only thing that I can think of that’s everywhere and nowhere at the same time.  Don’t go numb to the cliche. Black lives do matter. Natural hair is beautiful. All shades are beautiful. These things are all true, but we may consider getting more creative in the ways that we express these things. Don’t go numb, get creative. 

I love you Black people, and not because I feel like I have to. Happy Black History Month!

A Word By, Wisdom