Creating positive change

This week I struggled after hearing about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. I struggled to deal with the pain and hurt of hearing about how this young man’s life was so cruelly taken, injustice and the fact that I’m a mom of two Black young men. Fears and anxiety rose up within me. I needed to take a beat and process my emotions. My conversation with Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble on a recent IG Live on the topic of youth mental health helped me tremendously. What I got from the conversation is the importance of checking in with your feelings and finding ways to cope with trauma, taking the time needed to recharge to get ready for however I choose to move forward and take up the fight for social justice.

I didn’t watch the video that showed how he died. I didn’t want to be traumatized by an image that would be the primary way that I would remember Ahmaud Arbery. For me these images can uplift or normalize the images of the historical erasure and degradation of Black men, of our culture and our humanity. I prefer images that uplift.

I’m also reminded why I created What is Black. I created the platform as a counter narrative to the negative portrayal and stories that seek to perpetuate the generalizations and stereotypes of what it means to be Black. These images and stories are one dimensional. I want What is Black to serve as a resource to educate, uplift, challenge, engage dialogue and curate the beauty, majesty, complexity and greatness of our culture.

I took a walk this morning. I don’t normally wake up early on a Saturday morning to walk, but I was on my phone and saw the media posts of others that ran yesterday in remembrance of Ahmaud Arbery. They stirred something within me. So I walked and listened to podcasts that uplifted me. I felt the sun and breeze blow against my face. I came home and am writing this blog post as I still process the news and pray for justice for him and his family.

I know my walk and prayers alone won’t change what happened. What I hope is that my small acts of writing, being a child and community advocate, sharing resources for raising health and thriving Black youth and sparking conversations help to create a ripple of positivity and change.

We need a change.