#29: Love a Black Woman From Infinity to Infinity
Ft. music recommendations & my plan for black history month
Hey you!
It’s a new month: February! In case you didn’t know it, it is Black History Month! …The shortest month of the year.
(Leave me a comment if you know what 2000s show that quote is from!)
This Black History Month, I’m trying to dive into the history of Black women writers that have come before me. I’ll discuss it more in my writer’s log!
Let’s cruise right into issue #29 folks. Sending y’all love, light, and peace wherever you are.
Writer’s Log #16
When I was in school, Black History Month felt so unimportant. Every year, they’d spin the same over-simplified, pre-approved narratives about Black leaders.
Occasionally, the school would put up a themed bulletin board in a high-traffic area of the school with a long list of “forgotten Black heroes” or “fast facts”. Maybe.
When we were done staring at the bulletin board for five seconds, recognizing that the school acknowledged the existence of Black History Month, we’d go back to our state-sanctioned curriculums that glorified slave owners.
But now, at my big age of 26, I’m long removed from public school and have the additional brain cells, and overall context, to understand the problem with my past education and seek out information about Black history on my own accord.
The streets say we’re in the informational age — right? It’s time to gain some more information.
The #1 thing that I’ve realized, while learning about Black history on my own, is that American history is Black history. Black people have had a hand in so many different aspects of American history. But, I never learned anything about that in school.
What else is being hidden about American history?
Recently, I watched Netflix’s High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America. It blew my mind. Everyone should check it out. Kids should be watching documentaries like these in school.
America has so much pride in its cuisine. We should know the history behind it. But, we don’t? Why? Because it’s Black as hell.
The fact that I, and many others, don’t know the history behind the foods we eat isn’t by coincidence. Some people are scared, terrified even, of Black people understanding their power and influence, fully.
Maybe that’s why the humanity of Black people is always a discussion topic. I find it funny how it’s usually debated by two old white guys, like during the presidential debates, as if either would be an expert on the topic.
I don’t want to put this month, and the teaching of Black history as a whole, in the hands of a society that never intended to tell it, and especially not the whole truth.
I’m going to figure it out for myself.
How I began my journey to learn more about my Black history
Last night, I started to watch the 2019 documentary film Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am. Within minutes of watching the film, I started crying.
Morrison was talking about the power of words. Her eyes were looking directly at the camera. I felt seen like she was speaking directly to me.
I felt Toni Morrison’s sincerity and passion from moment one. And, to see that she was a writer like me?
Tears. So many tears.
I wondered how being introduced to Toni Morrison would have hit me at 12. At that age, I had just started writing in my spare time. I was writing remixes to popular songs and love poems to guys in my grade.
I often wrote behind closed, locked doors or in the wee hours of the night. But, in those hours, deep in the creative confines of my mind, I’d never felt more alive. I’d also never felt more alone.
I was the only writer I knew. Most people I knew only wrote for school assignments. They treated the act as a chore. I felt alien, afraid to proclaim my love for the written word.
As I learned about Toni Morrison’s story, I was no longer an outlier. I was a part of a long-standing history of Black female writers that stretched longer and farther than my mind could ever imagine.
Being provided with positive representation should be a birthright. Seeing someone who looks like you doing what you want to do is a game-changer. It gives you the confidence to try it for yourself and dare to dream of success.
I hope Black kids, these days, have an easier time finding positive representation than I did. When I was a kid, I wasn’t even aware that Black women wrote. But, I figure it’s better late than never.
I’m going to dive into the long history of Black women writers throughout February, and into forever. It feels so good to be seen, heard, and feel less alone — finally.
How Much Content Did You Consume? A Lot *21 Savage Voice*
I’m deep into my 100 albums in 2022 Challenge. At the point of writing this, I just finished listening to my 44th album. Yes, I know it’s only February.
One of the albums I enjoyed listening to recently was Baby Tate’s After the Rain: Deluxe. I loved the overall message of prioritizing self-love.
I’m also, finally, getting back into reading. I recently downloaded the Bookly app on my phone to see if gamifying reading could get me back on my reading kick. It may have worked! I’ve read every day for the past four days.
I just started reading Zadie Smith’s Swing Time and it’s really good (although, I keep wanting to call her Zazie Beetz, the actress from Atlanta and The Harder They Fall, but I have to keep reminding myself that’s not her dang name!!)
I love Smith’s descriptions. They really paint a picture.
Ya Girl Be Creating Or Whatever
Novel Update: Ya girl is in the middle of developmental editing. I’m about halfway through trying to re-map out the plot of v.2 of the book. I did finish the previous version of this draft, but I realized that the plot of the first half was boring as hell and needed to scrap it. Gotta be able to kill your darlings—right? *sobs in writer*
I’ve also written a few Medium articles, including this one for one of my fave publications, The Brain is a Noodle, about what I’d do with an extra $500, “This Post is Me Trying to Manifest a Windfall". (This is a free link to the article!)
Today’s Question For You
Valentine’s Day is usually marketed as a day only for celebrating romantic love. But, it’s really about love in all its forms, including self-love!
Take the time to show yourself some love this Valentine’s Day.
How are you planning to treat yourself this Valentine’s Day? What are some of your favorite self-love practices that you utilize throughout your day-to-day life? Leave me a comment below OR send me an email with your thoughts at our fancy, schmancy new digital mailbox: ohwrite1@gmail.com.
Conclusion
Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
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Love,
Nia
Black History Month wasn't a thing when I was in school (I'm old), but even just trying to think about what we /did/ study, I'm coming up empty. Other than the standard issue MLK one-pager, I can recall *briefly* learning about Marcus Garvey, and even that might've been a small segment in a larger class discussion?