Heyy, how are you?
Before we dive into today’s blog, I want us to take a moment and breathe.
…Inhale…
hold
hold
hold
Exhale……
…Inhale…
hold
hold
hold
Exhale……
…Inhale…
hold
hold
hold
Exhale……
Okay, now that we’re a little more relaxed, I’m going to virtually hold your hands when I say this; it is not my job to make you not fear me.
Actually, I’m going to take it further and say how you perceive me has nothing to do with me.
Thanks to colonization, we now live in daily turmoil and anguish. We are taught from a very early age that we are not enough, more so for Brown-skinned people.
This society was built on the illusion of racial inferiority and oppression. We have evolved, yet some of us still have to fight every day for the inherent privilege of existing on this planet.
The harsh reality is we live in a dystopian society where natural resources are hoarded by those with the means to do so, while the rest of us have to clamour for our needs.
The world operates on every man for themselves, its survival of the wealthiest.
Consumption is weaponized and used as a tool to manipulate the masses.
For so long, we have been disconnected from our natural rhythm that we have lost the ability to know our limits and when to say enough is enough.
I do not want to have to keep explaining that my existence does not coincide with my capacity to labour.
It is very exhausting that you still expect me to labour in some form whenever you’re in my presence, be it physical, emotional, spiritual or psychological.
I find myself avoiding interactions with ya’ll lately, and it has everything to do with your race; I am tired.
It is not my job to help you decolonize, it is not my job to educate you, it is not my job to make you not fear me.
If at this point you’re still with the belief that racism exists because a long time ago a group of hateful people deemed it so,
While negating the fact that it was created as an efficacy to justify the most horrendous crime in human history,
then, there’s very little I can do with your regard.
I always chuckle every time I hear a white person explain racism or tell me how they talk to their loved ones and kids about racism.
It’s fascinating to me that, as always, the 12 million people who were kidnapped from
their homeland and forced at gunpoint to labour gets omitted.
For some of you, I think it’s hard to accept that the focal point of racism's existence is your ancestors' mental illness, greed and self-hatred.
I really hope that you stop putting us Black folk at the forefront when you’re explaining racism, like, that is a “you” problem, it has always been a “you” problem.
My people did not come over here willingly.
Your perception of me was crafted by my kidnappers, who hoped to absolve themselves from their crimes.
I do not care whether you find me intimidating; that’s for your own self-reflection and growth.
I do not care to minimize who I am just to be palatable to you.
If my existence to you coincides with my capacity to labour, then you still have work to do.
If you still think that Black and Brown people are just lazy delinquent troublemakers, then you still have work to do.
If your aide to Black and Brown people requires them to sing your praise and not perceive you as racist, you still have work to do.
Until you can perceive Brown-skinned people as humans without any colonial additives and nuances, you still have work to do.
This Western civilization was built on stolen destinies, labour, and land, on genocide, murder, rape, and deceit.
Now the truth can be suffocating to swallow all at once, so I am going to stop here.
While there is so much more I can add to this conversation, I would like you to digest this first.
And if this post triggers you in any way whatsoever, please, tell it to your journal.
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