In Times Like These...

 

 

This week, just like that first week of July hit both my head and my heart. These tragedies and epic losses of Black lives are not new, but the advent of a photo-centric society makes the knowledge of them much more rapidly available to us. On a daily basis we don't just know of our uncle's, sister's, cousin's, friend's run ins with the system and state sanctioned violence. We are now also privy to the the atrocities affecting families throughout this country whose only kindred we share is a heritage rooted in ancestors whose blood feed the soil of this country that is ours through birth (so they tell us) but never fully ours to claim.

This can be a lot for people to consistently consume and self care is important. However, as a person of faith and a faith leader who took an oath to bring healing and comfort to suffering where I can. I am also always searching for what can be said and done in these tough times in which we find ourselves. As an artist I have been writing music and poetry and will continue to do so. This week, what I found to be true, in the face of the deaths of Joyce Quaeway, Korryn Gaines and Skye Mockabee is a bit more personal. 

My personal spiritual journey has been an evolution from what I call dogma to divinity. I've worked with Spirit for years to release myself from the dogmatic practices of the "shoulds and should nots" that existed in  the religious denomination of my upbringing and embraced a broader understanding of the divine essence that we know and understand as God. I accepted Love as the basis of my walk with Spirit. This process illuminated the scriptures of many of the holy books for me and opened my eyes to new and wonderful interpretations.  In that process I have gained a personal freedom that has allowed me to have a closer relationship with the divinity both within me and the cosmos. But I would be lying if I said that as I evolved in my understanding part of me did not question at least in part why some chose to cling to antiquated traditions that to me were binding and antithetical to free spiritual expression. The events of this week changed my mind about some things though.

As I watched via social media the ignoring of Joyce Quaeway's and Skye Mockabee's death by everyone except other black women, and watched Korryn Gaines be denied the benefit of the doubt in the wake of her death by the state by her own people, even seeing some goes as far as to deem her death justified; though mind you, there is usually always a collective outcry by black folks when the major media outlets trot out someone's past to justify their deaths. I was struck by the fact that none of these women's names would even have been spoken if it weren't for social media, since they were all but invisible to the mainstream media. This all has brought me to a new revelation and thus a new position when it comes to my sisters and their gods.

 

I WILL NEVER BEGRUDGE A BLACK WOMAN HER CHOSEN SPIRITUAL PATH EVER AGAIN. I WILL NOT JUDGE IT!

 

In a world that constantly shows black women that we are not loved, trusted or valued, I understand the need to feel like there is at least ONE SOMEBODY in the universe who loves us unconditionally, Who believes in us, Who cherishes us just the way we are. In a way that feels tangible and real. However you find your way to that unconditional love my sisters, Be it Jesus, Allah, Oludumare, Jehovah or Shiva I support you.

We all need a rock to anchor our hope to when this life becomes too tough. We all need something to comfort our minds so we can actually get to sleep when the world is raging. WE black women are usually that rock for EVERYONE else. But where is our rock? That strength in the storm can't always be accessed intellectually. I've always know that, but this week, I truly understand it.

Black Women, I love you. Black women, I trust you. And when faced with the choice to believe a system that has done nothing but deprived people who look like me of our basic human rights and tried to strip us of our  dignity or YOU, I WILL ALWAYS GIVE YOU THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. And you will never hear me say that the state had the right to take ANY of your lives. When given the opportunity I will always call out the toxic masculinity that supports your being killed for lack of submission or being threatened by your sexual or gender expression.

My sisters, do whatever you need to do to make it through this world whole and sane. Pray to whichever God (or Goddess) that brings you value and comfort.

I leave you with a few words of an old hymn from my Pentecostal upbringing. It was written referencing Jesus. I offer it to you as an invitation to embrace divine love in whichever expression heals and helps you.

In times like these we need an anchor. Be very sure your anchor holds and grips a solid rock...