I have begun to see a much clearer picture of the state of black youth in America, a glimpse of the impact of removing their feeling of dignity and respect; of the media that addicts them to a narcissistic materialism and a depreciated view of themselves. I am, we are, all asked to be bigger, to give more, and I am convinced that the strength needed for the task which lies ahead is within our collective capacities to fulfill:
The ‘work’ is to heal the wounds still visible beneath the draped gold and elaborate inked pictures on the skin of those who live in dark bodies, canvases already masterfully painted in beautiful warm rich hues, from henna to ebony; beauty totally obscured by thirty second sound bites and bits and pieces of distorted images most often crafted by those with canvases absent of color.
It just may be that this ‘work’ of healing must be more of an ‘awakening’ a re-visioning of our humanity, as an amorphous sculpture perfectly molded, impervious to vandalism or defacement, a form timeless and endless, crafted in a workshop by a master artist whose sole material is …love.
Let’s be the healing!
Your Sister,
Joy
