As we enter the first weekend of Black History Month, after a long week of fighting memes and policies, we want to encourage you to take a moment. Take a deep breath, then stand up somewhere and say it loud: “I’m Black, and I’m Proud!” It is a time for some revolutionary rest.
As the descendants of people who chose to survive, do not let this system break you. Guard yourself against the feelings of exhaustion, depression, sadness, frustration, and never-ending waves of anger. These emotions push us to the brink and call for us to take a moment and practice revolutionary rest. To heal, we must take a hard look at our American story. It was built on disillusionment and disappointment, survival and sacrifice. This is not a new story, nor is it for the faint of heart. America is a beast, prideful in feeding off our pain—a red, white, and blue nightmare where Black and Brown people exist at its bleeding edge. Recognizing this, we need to step away for just a moment.
So this is the weekend to get off your couch, put down your phone, and do one (or more) of the following:
- Take a walk.
- Read a good book.
- Take yourself out to lunch.
- Play with your children.
- Cuddle up with your significant other.
- Make a good meal.
- Call and touch base with your family and friends.
- Go to the movies.
- Join a protest march.
- Buy banned books and give them to young people in your community.
- Buy some whistles and give them away.
- Watch some ASALH Black History Month videos.
- Support a small Black-owned business.
- Dance it out with everything you’ve got.
- Head to the water. Take off your shoes and socks. Get your feet wet.
- Find a place of silence and just sit for a while.
- Write a letter to the person you used to be or the person you want to be one day.
- Visit a museum or an outdoor market.
- Play some music and sing at the top of your lungs.
- Get in your car, windows up, and scream until you can’t scream anymore.
- Get to the gym.
- Crochet.
- Be still.
- Laugh.
- Paint.
- Knit.
- Cry.
We start again on Monday, fully rested and ready to do battle!
In any language, claim your space and say it loud: “I’m Black and I’m Proud!”
Spanish: Dilo alto: Soy negro y estoy orgulloso
French: Dis-le haut: Je suis noir et fier
Portuguese: Diga alto: Sou negro e tenho orgulho
Swahili: Sema kwa sauti: Mimi ni Mweusi na ninajivunia
Haitian Creole: Di li byen fò: Mwen nwa e mwen fyè
Igbo: Kwuo ya n’olu dara oké: Abụ m onye ojii na-enwekwa Yoruba: Sọ ọ́ ní ohùn gíga: Mo jẹ́ dúdú, mo sì ń fõgo
Tagalog: Sabihin mo nang malakas: Ako ay Itim at Proud
Arabic: قُلْهَا بِصَوْتٍ عَالٍ: أَنَا أَسْوَدُ وَفَخُورٌ (Qulha bisawt ‘al: Ana aswad wa fakhoor)
Bending toward social justice,
Karsonya Wise Whitehead