I am an avid reader – always have been. These days, I read physical books, kindle versions, and listen to audio versions at the same time. As a life-long learner, I believe it is important to feed the mind as much as possible, as often as possible. I pride myself on being intentional about every aspect of my life. How we do things is just as important as why we do them.
I just finished listening to a powerful audio version of the book, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, by Nikole Hannah- Jones. This book (a New York Times best seller) consists of a collection of moving essays and poems that masterfully tell the story of American Slavery and how it was the machine that built the economy in this country. The book points out how the remnants of this institution continue to affect African Americans today. I cannot say enough beautiful things about this book. And I will not say much here because you should read it for yourself.
I also just finished listening to the audio version of the book Caste by Isabelle Wilkerson. This book is a necessary addition to any library. America is known as a “melting pot,” but it is no secret that segregation and white supremacy still plague our society. Unfortunately, like Wilkerson, I have also experienced racial discrimination in my lifetime. I do not downplay those accounts, but I am sure they were nothing compared to what my ancestors went through – even my parents, who were both born in 1935 rural Mississippi.
Now, while I do encourage reading/listening to these books, there is an important caveat that I must mention. Try to avoid reading these books back-to-back like I did. Doing so is the equivalent of watching Roots (1977), Rosewood (1997), and Mississippi Burning (1988) all in the same day. The triggers are real. As I listened to the words in these books, there were times when I felt my body reacting to the many injustices that were inflicted on my ancestors. Be that as it may, it doesn’t mean that I should shy away from those brutal truths.
I know some people wonder why some of us constantly read about these historical traumas. I say, to understand where we are, we must understand where we have been. The discomfort that some experience as they read and watch these stories is probably something that needs to be addressed within them.
I cringe when I hear Black people say that they do not want to watch another movie about slavery. To me, it is similar to why some White people have such disdain for Critical Race Theory. A stretch? Not in my eyes. Turning a blind eye to painful truths does not make them magically disappear from our history. Suppressing these agonizing imprints is not good for any of us. I don’t know about you, but my ancestors survived so that I could be here to write these words. The legacy of slavery is also present in my book series, Heaven’s Eyes: The Scandals of Macklin. It would be impossible to write about events and people from 1930s/1940s rural Mississippi without that historical reference.
In the past few years, the Black Lives Matter movement helped enlighten the world about the injustices and brutalization of Black bodies, which was only heightened by the public murder of George Floyd. For the first time, some people had to witness what had been happening to Black men and boys for years. Because of a brave young woman and her cell phone, the entire world was forced to see this ugly truth. And the world responded. But why did so many Black men have to die for people to, well, care?
I recently watched the limited series, Women of the Movement (2022) about Mamie Till-Mobley, Emmitt Till’s mother. It was horrifying to watch this at times, even though I have read about and watched many documentaries about Till for years. But when we see chilling similarities like the current day lynching of Ahmaud Arbery, we can clearly understand that times have not changed much. The only difference now is that sometimes, the murderers pay for their crimes.
I will continue to read, listen to, and watch the stories that have affected me on some level. I owe my ancestors that much.
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