Our response to the chaos has always been revolution

These past few months have brought about a lot of feelings.
Fear
Anger
Rage
Contempt
Determination
Disassociation
And so much more…
Social media makes it hard not to see the myriad reactions to another Trump Presidency; yes, I said it. Some have decided that they need to protect their home with firearms, others are considering fleeing the country, and others are preparing to go off the grid, buy land, and start a homestead. While some have decided to invest in their immediate community’s interest and leave the rest up to God, others relied on spiritualists and astrologers for doses of hope and predictions that someone or something will come and a Trump Presidency will never happen. I even peaked behind the veil, wondering… Many influencers gained quite a profit from monetizing their “spiritual gifts” as fast food with people’s desperation, but that’s for another blog…
The think pieces, community strategies, and visceral reactions join the symphony of international upheaval, calling for my attention to the point where I’m not sure where I land on the spectrum these days. At any time, I want to start my garden in a panic; other days, I want to flee, and some days, I want to put my head in the sand and listen to elevator music. But as a Black woman dedicated to uplifting my people and community, I do not have that luxury. So, I have to turn off the phone, turn off the news, detach from the reactions, look my loved ones in the eye, and be present, and in that, I found an ancestral fact that I forgot about in all the chatter:
We have built communities from the ashes of broken systems before
What is innate is not our struggle
But our talent for building connections with each other
Despite the world’s stage
We will always find each other
We will always build with each other
And joy is always possible
I see this in my daughter’s eyes when she leans over to find the joy in mine. I see it in my husband’s smile when the creativity burst through in our Saturday mornings together; I see it in the community’s organization supporting those affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles without hesitation. Not only was there no question in supporting Black families but there was also a priority in history and education with love and care. These are indigenous lands with memories, and we must remember that moving forward. That is who we are. The community tools, both physical and spiritual, that we have at our disposal are ancestral and are not dependent on capitalism, politics, or hate. We prove that generation after generation.
Are the concerns of the next four years real? Yes! And where our community puts our attention is where we put our momentum. So, if you find yourself glued to the reactions and chaos that is contagious right now, take a moment and look love in the eyes when you can. Be it your partner, parent, best friend, or pet, find their heartbeat and breathe. Our ancestral power is always available to us. We can choose to organize and prioritize our peace and safety because both are necessary.
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