On the whole, we can conclude that we are not okay.
The travesty that occurred at the Capitol in Washington, DC exemplified that we exist in two very different iterations of America.
In my America, my quest as a Black immigrant is to heal; the root word of Naaya is anchored in liberation for all Black folks. I know that I cannot be free until all Black people, including the trans and LGBTQ+ communities, are free.
My “power” lies in wanting agency—in wanting healthcare that isn’t negatively affected by my racial identity, in wanting to live in a country where my worth isn’t deemed “less than” for the same reason.
In the other iteration of America, the quest for power is intrinsically linked to White Supremacy, which is defined as the belief that white people constitute a superior race and therefore dominate society, typically to the exclusion or detriment of other racial and ethnic groups. The desire to maintain dominance isn’t always as obvious as what occurred at the Capitol, but underlying White Supremacy is always a desire to maintain power over others.
So where does that leave us? When we as Black folks have a desire to heal and yet the reality of our lived experiences is often in direct conflict with our ability to do so. When there is trepidation and tentativeness about speaking to real issues because of a fear of being labeled a “bad” person or a troublemaker.
How do we collectively give each other grace when white folks consciously and subconsciously desire to maintain their dominance and power over us and others?
I wish I had the answer, but I don’t. What I do know is this: You don’t solve a problem by ignoring it, even when facing it is uncomfortable. Like James Baldwin said, nothing can be changed until it’s faced. I’ve learned this the hard way myself. (See: me pushing past what I want to believe is working in my personal life because it’s easier to contend with that than to keep it all the way 100.)
I don’t want to keep pushing past, or glossing over, the hard parts. I want to at least try to face the truth.
