I’m feeling anxiety as I share this
Because I’ve always been in my world of white privilege
And I’m at the very beginning of learning to actually see it in order to move out of it
As I emerge, I feel shame for having been in it
And I choose to emerge because I want to grow in awareness, empathy and compassion
And I open up to the fear and uncertainty that comes with this growth
And I unhook from the thought that I’m not doing this right
And I share these words from my friend and Sister Goddess, Antoinette Cooper:
America is built on racism. It is so woven into the fabric of the American identity that to protest it is to be unpatriotic and unbecoming. Speaking up and saying “no more” means that one is being controversial. Speaking against it can mean that one is not spiritual enough, or is bringing politics to the table. There is an expectation of silence. And in the silence Black people are dying disproportionately from racialized violence and inequities in every system. We have now reached a tipping point and the America of tomorrow cannot be the same, but even as we exist in this rupture, what is happening to the Black body?
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Racism is deadly for our health and well-being. I fear racism and it’s impact more than I fear the coronavirus. The anger, rage, fear, and trauma has been and continues to be embedded into our gene code. How can we get free from the tyranny inflicted upon our beautiful Black bodies? How can we transmute all of this pain when the American ritual is the denigration of the Black body?
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In contemplating these questions and more I have created Black Exhale because if we can’t breathe, then we must holler. Black Exhale is about Black folk collectively embodying and releasing their shadow emotions, while allies practice holding space in order to increase their capacity to be a witness. This is about healing. This is about declaring Black Lives as safe and sacred.
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Please share with your communities and follow @BlackExhale to receive more details about participating in the coming days. Asé.
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#BlackExhale
#BlackLivesMatter
#BlackPainMatters