And I’m Reminded, We Got Us!

So many things have occurred recently that are legitimate causes for dismay. We can consider the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the U.S. election results suggesting that the citizenry desires fascism overwhelmingly to a society that offers a social safety net and pathways to the middle class. For me personally, November 14 is a difficult day as my beloved daughter was still born to me on that very day nine years ago.

I, like many Black women, have a tendency to be overcome with a sense of tranquility in the midst of chaos. Much like the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the threat the world is finally beginning to experience is one all too familiar for us. With COVID it was the loss of work, the untimely passing of elders, the suggestion that those becoming ill were somehow biologically predisposed (read genetically inferior) rather than simply less protected by federal policies and laws. As the world outside of Black communities entered this reality, it actually felt uncomfortable because ‘outsiders’ were having the conversation Black folks have amongst ourselves all the time. And Black women, being the typical group who endures low pay over long periods of time to ensure that at times of political whitelash wherein Black men are more likely to lose their jobs, there is still an income, are typically least of all moved by the sudden awareness of the world without.

Now, in the face of likely losses in public education, to the accessibility of healthcare and means to purchase groceries and other everyday necessities, again - I feel a sense of calm. My knowing is ancestral and often is not accompanied by specific illustrations of ‘why.’ I count it a test of my faith to just rest in the peace rather than investigate it. But today, I was reminded with a concrete example of why we will be alright.

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I sign up annually to volunteer at my son’s school no matter the task. From book fairs to class parties, he knows I’m showing up to get a sense of what it’s like when school is in-session and to better bolster the home curriculum that complements, or when necessary, displaces that of school. This time, through a centralized PTO, I was only to show up, distribute pumpkins and paint, and lead a discussion on ‘gratitude.’ I sprung into preparation by gathering the Indigenous artifacts in my home that we purchase annually by supporting local Native people when they engage in the summer pow wow. We learn, enjoy, and above all purchase what we can to support the community. 

With my deer skin drum, sage and handmade pottery in tow, I offered the artifacts to be passed around by the preteens. Just before I asked, “What is on the calendar to be celebrated next month? How do these artifacts connect to one another?” The students first deduced that the materials were all natural, and then that they were from ‘Native Americans.’ I went on “In the spirit of gratitude, we should all be grateful for this land, that yields the pumpkins you will decorate and that was stewarded by the people of this land before any of us arrived. A little Black girl looked up at me and smiled. “You are so pretty!” she said. “As are you!” I beamed. They painted and chatted, several commenting that they have sage in their homes. I was grateful to know that with my thirty minute intervention I had introduced gratitude for the Indigenous folks and for the land into their setting. Cultural pride and art were a bonus.

I offer this as a bright spot during a dark time - so we can all remember that what is to come is no different than what has been before. We are ready for this. The children are our children, and they need us now more than ever. And so we will make it through, as long as we remember that if everyone does a little, no one has to do a lot.