Being black in this country can be taxing and exhausting- sometimes deadly. We are confronted with how much society refuses to accept its past mistakes and even embrace inequality to avoid facing reality or responsibility. Seeing video after video, witnessing the severe lack of change over decades, watching books being burned that celebrate our history and explain our traumas, being subjected to the entire spectrum of racism from microagressions to shootings. We are oftentimes inundated with negativity, but we seem to find a way to carry on. We find a way to cope, to sit with the onslaught of transgressions and move through the world with the weight of this pain, in spite of it, oftentimes with grace. Sometimes not, but that is not without warrant. And it’s not about being strong, because that is not always the case. Strength isn’t something innate in us all, we are human. There are times when this world certainly does consume us. I can’t speak for every black experience and I shouldn’t have to. We all have different ways we deal with the past and understand who we are and our identities. However, we are still here and that does mean there is a perseverance and persistence that cannot be ignored.

I love that we all have so much to offer this world and have this shared history albeit an incredibly agonizing one. It’s something that bonds us all in a way that is almost inexplicable and this month, I really like to focus on those who came before me. Those who aren’t splashed across the pages of every black history month pamphlet or consistently repeated every year. No, I like to dig deeper this month and every month for those faceless names or nameless faces that hold stories far beyond a BHM talking point or hapless tales devoid of dimension. One of the things I’ll be revisiting are the pictures I took a few years ago. You can see some of them, here.

I’ll also be doing a lot of self-reflection. Really looking at where I am, how far I’ve come, and appreciate all that I have. Practicing mindfulness this month is truly a way to celebrate how very lucky I am to have the privelege to do so. Honoring my ancestors by sitting and listening and resting (shout out to the Nap Ministry!).

I also wrote about my experience with Black History Month a few years ago and those words still hold true today. Instead of rehashing my relationship with this month and my evolution of learning, I’ll share it again, here. It’s one of my favorite posts I’ve written.

On top of recalibrating my relationship with BHM, I also wanted to share another post about how much I love being black, here.

This BHM, I’m excited to embrace myself, my life, and my loved ones. Maybe get some Beyoncé Renaissance tour tickets…