Not For Human Consumption pt. 1
Art by B. Brody
If you follow me on Instagram, I recently went on a bit of a tangent in regards to dominant culture and how it erases people. It was not one thing that set me off, it was more of a culmination of sorts and personal experiences, so I will start by saying what is typically on the back near the labels of pesticides and other chemicals that are not meant for human consumption.
“People are NOT for human consumption.”
The year is 2022 and people across the world are knee deep and morals deplete in this pandemic. Ok maybe not morals deplete but people are tired and exhausted, exhausted and tired. Our capacity for showing up as our best or whole selves may or may not be limited and so much of this has to do with our levels and positions of power and privilege. Caregivers are tired. Teachers are tired. Children are tired and those in positions to serve We the People may or may not have abandoned ship themselves. I share this because I want to provide context for grace and compassion- people are going through it. BUT…
Merely because we are going through it in various ways does not mean we should get sloppy and careless in the ways of caring for each other and being in community. Handling it in whatever way does not give permission to leave our manners for each other at the door. And all of our book clubs, study groups and commitments to equity and accountability to Black people are beginning to look a lot like tokenism and performance.
In the United States of America there is this ongoing belief or action of condemning, blaming and oppressing women of color and more specifically Black women, only to later champion the same women to clean up the mess we didn’t make at our own expense. Example, Joe Rogan calling for Michelle Obama to run for President. Now don’t get me wrong is she more than capable, yes but when her husband was in office she was criticized for her First Lady efforts, often compared to an ape or being manly, hell even demonized for her fertility issues and how she was able to become a mother. And it is not just Lady O.
Stacey Abrams out of Georgia was a gubernatorial candidate for governor in 2018, when the secretary of state Brian Kemp used voter suppression to ensure his win of the election. Well, this happened in 2018 you say but after Stacey and countless others- specifically Black and femme led grassroots organizations across Georgia put in incredible amounts of work to make GA blue, we are back at hash tagging #I’mwithStacey or #StaceyforGovernor. Where were these same women that did not stand with and support Stacey when she ran for governor the first time? Okay sure, perhaps openly they could not say they were with Stacey, but where were their votes in the booth? Again, Stacey is more than capable and willing to serve as governor but the expectation of her to show up in her wholeness after being dismissed and harmed before could have some detrimental affects to her.
I know this got long and it happened quick, there will be a part two (at least) to this one. But I want to leave you with this. If we are genuine in our desire to uplift and amplify the powerful work of humanity, we have to first SEE each other’s humanity. Only witnessing a person (this is any person) for what they are able to do or produce only reduces them to cattle or enslavement for someone else’s benefit. It diminishes and limits ones identity from its fullness and wholeness into just what people desire or want for or from that person and flattens them into a monolith. I am a Black woman but I also happen to embody motherly wisdom, yoga teacher and energy healer wisdom. I would hate if someone only felt they could listen to me merely on my lived Black experience- which this has happened a ton of times to me. What part or parts of you would you hate to be reduced to? This is how dominant culture continues to support itself by reducing people to their culture, disability or title. More on this later.