You get very different versions of history depending upon where you start. For instance if you start my history with the death of my father, a pivotal point in my life, you have the story of a fatherless girl. If you start with the birth of my son, you have a different story. If you fast forward and start with today, February 28, 2019, you have a completely different story - the story of an almost 50 year old woman who is the embodiment of all of the various moments in my life while representing none.
This year, 2019, represents the 400 year anniversary of the 20 Angolan captives who arrived in Virginia aboard the “White Lion” ship. I often wonder if any of them, both the captives and the captors, knew that 400 years later we would still be grappling with the vestiges of slavery.
This year, in acknowledgment of those who survived the brutal institution of slavery so that I may celebrate 50 years, I am going on a journey. Five countries representing the African continent and diaspora to explore the experience of living in this, our shared black skin. The questions: What are lived experiences within the many expressions of blackness? To what extent do I “fit” into the global African quilt?
First stop, Trinidad, Carnival, pure unadulterated, pleasure. Observations from this trip:
- Tens of thousands of Black people from around the globe can gather without violence
- Law enforcement can be present without being oppressive
- No one NO ONE can party like people with shared African ancestry
- I am not an introvert (this concept will be unpacked later)
- There is a common, unspoken language encoded in blackness
Next stop on the journey Barbados. #MyBlackStory #UNLEASHED
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