Well-Rounded Identities
A few weeks ago, there was controversy surrounding an Affirmative Action bake sale put on by a registered student organization on campus. This group sold baked goods for different prices depending on your race in an effort to illustrate and start a conversation on "the dangers of affirmative action."
Lord knows I was HEATED when I read about this event along with some of the other controversial stunts this particular group has been pulling throughout this school year--but that's a blog post for another day.
I wasn't able to attend this bake sale to see what was going on, but the bake sale did spark several conversations between myself and other co-workers and friends on how we approach race and what it means. Many are very quick to try the "colorblind" approach as they believe that choosing to ignore color altogether is the solution to bridging a gap and eliminating racial tension or misunderstandings. Others embrace their race fiercely and take great pride in it. Whether you're a fan of the social construct of race or not, it plays a heavy role in all aspects of life for all of us, and it is a part of our identity that is ascribed to us as soon as we enter the world. The tricky part in all of this is remembering that our racial identity is not our only identity. I was fortunate enough to attend a conference in January where an awesome speaker named Tim Anderson Jr. discussed this with hundreds of other college students who wanted to know how to take a stand, and help in easing racial tensions among other injustices in today's society. Still, not everyone was able to attend this conference, so let me reiderate:
Our racial identity is not our only identity!
It is one of many facets we possess, and can be intertwined in our ethnicity, culture, and heritage. Indira and myself both take pride in our diversity, and had to realize very early on the importance of having a well-rounded identity in order to effectively navigate through life as a young person and a young adult. Over the past couple of weeks, we did a bit of reflecting on several aspects of ourselves outside of our race. We were both having a bit of a rough week, but a small photo shoot and a little reminiscing (at least, on my part) got us smiling and laughing. Turns out there's a lot more to the both of us than meets the eye:
Over the past year, I've gotten in the habit of purchasing and reading books predominately by Black authors, and this conscious effort has opened up my world to genres, stories and experiences I would've never thought of before. I discovered a whole world of Black science fiction authors--I don't think I've ever read a sci-fi book by someone who looks like me in my life before! Not only are the books I've read different from any other book I've ever read--particularly The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin, which is the first book I've read that uses the second person, putting the reader in the story--but it's inspired me to try a genre of novel I've never experimented with before: sci fi. In seeking out books by Black authors, I've learned more on issues such as colorism--defined by Oxford as "prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group"--and how drastically your life would've changed if you were "dark Black" versus "light Black," or even light enough to pass as White; among other issues my parents, grandparents and great grandparents went through or witnessed.
This past week, I took a trip to some of my old "stomping grounds," better known as the "Six Pack" on the U of I campus: an area of campus where there are 6 dorms all in one spot that share a common dining hall and student resource center. This brought back some of the best memories from the past few years--as well as some of the worst. It reminded me of the reasons why I decided to do away with hating myself, and started to appreciate everything that I am--as well as working to change what I knew I could improve upon. The process is slow and long, but both the incredible and dreadful experiences I endured during my time in the "Six Pack" put me on the path to realizing just how strong and powerful I truly am.
When I was a child, my mother used to purchase all things Black. We had a painting in our bedroom of little Black girls praying before bedtime, a calendar showing happy Black families, read fairy tales with the main characters portrayed as Black, and so on. Now that I'm a teacher, I want my students to be as excited as I was to see themselves in the artwork, images and stories they interact with on a daily basis. I want them to see images that will let them know their brown skin and curly hair are beautiful. I want them to see images of Black scientists, nurses, science fiction writers, and whatever else so that they know that they can do whatever else rather than be limited to the many negative portrayals we tend to see in the media. This is why I create art with people of color. This is why I paint diverse characters.
I remember being horrified when I saw a typo in my debut novel. But this horror was quickly replaced with pride and joy when so many people were coming to me and telling me that they loved my novel, that it could be made into a movie, that it made them cry, that they read it over and over again, that they couldn't put it down once they started reading it, that it inspired them to work on their own book. Neither of my novels are perfect, but I can say definitively that they are powerful and have made an impact, which is all that matters to me at the end of the day.
If you see me on the street, you don't see my writing. You don't see my artwork. You don't see my experiences in the "Six Pack" and the scars they left me with--you just see a Black woman. I am one who embraces my Blackness, for it's all I truly have. I am blessed to know that my father's side of the family is from Jamaica; my grandfather came here as a young man and became a business owner in Chicago. That's as much of my ethnic makeup that I know for sure. The remainder of my grandparents all came from the South--Alabama, to be exact--but, we don't know where from Africa we hail from. Even if I did know what my exact African roots were, I would still take pride in my Black skin, my tiny curls, and whatever else because these traits are a part of who I am. They are just as much a part of my identity as the artist and the reader in me.
To read Indira's contribution, visit her blog by clicking HERE and don't forget to go check out Indira's Inner Beauty the blog and the Youtube channel! We will be working together all month long, so stay tuned for more!
Love and light,
Reina M and Indira M
