A Safe Space

Hey y'all.

So, I got to see Black Lives Matter Plaza for the first time yesterday. And the experience is almost something I can't explain.

Have you ever stepped into something, a room, let's say, and felt entirely and inexplicably like you belong? Like you're finally arriving home, as if you could stay forever. 

It's strange to think about the fact that in some ways everywhere we go we take mental armor. A mask to protect against anything that could want to hurt us. 

For example, high school mean girls.

Yes. They do exist outside of Gossip Girl. Think less eating in bathroom stalls and more stealing your boyfriend and rumor spreading. Not that dealing with that freak show is a normal everyday thing. Though I will note it is pretty entertaining...when it isn't happening to me. 🙄

Anywayyyyyyy, I stepped onto Black Lives Matter Plaza and for the second time in my entire life, I felt entirely accepted and safe. I felt proud and...

 Free.

It's strange that in a sea full of people, (don't worry I was social distancing) most wearing masks hiding their faces I felt more safe and welcome than I do in rooms filled with people I know. 

My blackness wasn't perceived as a threat or a problem or an afterthought. It just was. And that was beautiful. 

The only other time I ever felt this accepted was at a concert, strangely enough, I guess I find comfort in the solidarity of large crowds 🤷. 

It was a Halsey concert during her Hopeless Fountain Kingdom tour a couple years ago. And she was talking about being bisexual and biracial in America. And she told us, everyone there that is, that we were safe. Safe to be who we truly were in that moment with her. And looking out over the stadium, I was in a box looking over (I think it was a huge basketball court actually..maybe) 

And I just saw thousands of people, pride flags, and colors, and lights. And I don't know I believed her. I felt safe and loved and free. 

It's something I'll never forget. So If Halsey is reading this...for whatever reason. 

Thank you, Ashley, you changed my life in ways I don't completely understand all the time but I will forever be grateful for. One day I hope I can have a platform to use the same way you have. I hope I can make even one more person feel as loved as you made me feel that night.  

Welp now that this has all taken a turn toward weepy I would like to revert back to regularly scheduled programming. I have a message that's gonna be real no matter when y'all read this. 

Black Lives Matter, and we all deserve to be able to grow up feeling safe in our own country in our own neighborhoods. Little girls shouldn't learn to hate their skin and hate their bodies and not understand why. Little boys shouldn't have to learn that they will always be seen as a threat, that they will be beaten down, belittle, and destroyed for the ego of a white person. But we do. But I did. But my brother did. And my sister after us. 

I have so much more to say but right now, in this moment, I just want you to feel safe. I want you to feel how I felt on that plaza yesterday and how I felt at that concert. Wherever you are I want you to just close your eyes and breathe. And feel free. Let it all go. 

And remember that peace. 

We need it. 

Bye yall.
(If yall ever need to talk about anything I said above, feel free to comment, this is a safe space to share) 

GIF sad face walk away puffin rock - animated GIF on GIFER

Comments

Popular Posts