94. Celebrating Black Joy for Black History Month
Summary
In this, the only month dedicated to Black history, Erica holds space for Black and Brown exhaustion while celebrating Black joy. Erica addresses those who, in a desire to educate themselves, equate their privilege with unlimited, immediate access to Black emotional labor with little regard for the harm caused. She invites everyone to seek out and acknowledge the contributions of Black history that are made every day.
In this discussion:
The trauma and perpetuation of Black and Brown exhaustion
The link between urgency and white supremacy
Breaking oppressive cycles
Black folks celebrating Black history for themselves, as a form of self-care
What imperfect allies can do to limit the burden on Black and Brown people
Keep the Dialogue Going
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Article
Exhaustion among Black and Brown folks is not new. The effects of the last 12 months have simply amplified stark injustices that have plagued us for generations. During this time, the stressors of multiple losses - lives, jobs, social interactions - have converged to weaken an already shaky foundation. The “normal” that framed our pre-COVID lives is so structurally unsound that white America can no longer claim ignorance.
These inequalities don’t end at our borders, of course. They’re stateside instances of global challenges and attitudes that must shift because, frankly, “the weight on Black and Brown people to do so much, it’s getting to be a bit much.” Erica says the trauma endures down through generations, so much so that she found herself repeatedly faced with examples as she and India toured the galleries at the National Museum of African American history. “For me, it was a bit jarring to recognize that everything that we were seeing felt like such a cycle, that you could very clearly see the cyclical nature of what was going on and how nothing was new.”
Your Timeline Is Not My Concern
As a mother, Erica says it’s the work of a lifetime to put new systems in place so future generations of Black children can thrive. But healing is made more difficult by the sudden, unrelenting impulses of those who have never before seen any urgency for anti-racism, who come ready to engage with diversity, equity, and inclusion work at the expense of someone else’s energy and time. “Nobody needs to have urgency put on them when you finally show up and realize that shit is real,” Erica says. That’s not okay, and she’s not here for it,
White supremacy culture dictates timelines that disproportionately affect Black people, forcing them to disregard their own work in service to educating the masses on white supremacy’s legacy! And the vicious cycle rolls on, pushing Black folks to forever endure rather than simply exist.
Black History Month Is Every Day
White supremacy’s timeline signatures are everywhere. Consider Black History Month - the shortest month of the year by the way. Black creativity exists beyond these twenty-eight days. “I want you to really think about the fact that what you see happening around you is creating history and Black people that are striving and creating joy and beauty and goddamn awesomeness just by existing,” Erica says. “I need you to understand that that is happening because it is born out of necessity. It is born out of us being told what we can't do.” She singles out the excellent film The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman as it centers a Black woman’s point of view while also showcasing the extraordinary talents of Cicely Tyson.
Educate yourself on this history and continue to uplift those contributing to it. “Black history is being created right now which you're listening to. I am Black history,” Erica says, proudly declaring her own platform as a joyful addition to the continuum. “We find beauty where there is none. We create joy and innovation when there seems that there is no way because it is in our DNA. That's what we do.”
White supremacy has attached its own educational component to Black History Month. It appropriates time and energy that Black folks set aside to cultivate their own knowledge in service to the benefit and education of white people. And here the discussion comes full circle, back to the emotional labor too often required of Black people. Back to a schedule designed with White folks needs put first - even during Black History Month. Erica shares some final thoughts in response to that truth. “Please also understand that Black history is for people that are learning about it, but it's also for those of us that are living it, to learn about some of the things from which we came, what we were born of,” says Erica, “what is baked into the melanin in our skin that is kissed by the sun.”
As you observe Black History Month, ask yourself:
When and where is my urgency contributing to the trauma of Black and Brown people?
How can I be more mindful of the boundaries that Black and Brown people require for their own self-care?
What can I do to acknowledge and elevate Black history being created every day?
Thank you for sharing your time. Thank you for continuing to question your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Together, we can create a bridge for those who want to walk over and a part of this change.
Happy Black History Month.
Quoted
ERICA COURDAE
“I don't think that it's new to anyone that has been paying even the slightest bit of attention that Black and Brown exhaustion is a thing.”
“Nobody needs to have urgency put on them when you finally show up and realize that shit is real. That's not okay.”
“Hello, white supremacist culture. Apparently, you came to have a seat at the table unannounced yet a-damn-gain.”
“I want you to find the joy in the history of Black people. And I also want you to recognize that Black history is being created right now, which you're listening to. I am Black history.”
“We find beauty where there is none. We find joy and innovation when there seems that there is no way because it is in our DNA. That's what we do.”
“Black history is not just for you to learn about us. Black history is for us to learn about what white supremacy culture denied us.”
“It is important to remember that we are also not required to power through.”