As some know, Intellectuals and Creatives have a place in protest…. More than just documenting, doing art, or simply talking about it afterward, but sometimes, we do that too.
As a FREE journalist, I enjoy using new media to share things that are important to me, and to home. I intend to capture and post more photos, videos as my contribution to the work. Being intentional with strategic media use is my part in interpreting, translating, documenting, and archiving those of us doing the work and the work that is being done...
towards our freedom. The Virgin Islands Studies Collective is a group of academics, artists, and activists committed to centering the Virgin Islands as a site of inquiry and theorization beyond a notion of utopia or space that is not meaningfully occupied. The VISCO team includes visual artist La Vaughn Belle, Dr. Tami Navarro of Drew University, Professor Tiphanie Yanique of Emory University, and Dr. Hadiya Sewer of the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI). The dECOlonial Feelin Symposium, hosted by Emory University and Clark Atlanta University, is taking place in Atlanta, GA, September 19-21, 2024, with Thursday and Saturday's activities at Clark Atlanta University and Friday's activities at Emory University.
More soon come, but for now, an impromptu poem-ish word sound surrounded by our cultural code.
Is we again?!
We does be in everyting!
We everyplace you tun
Always been so
Always go be
For the African in we
Is the gold we taking back
Replacing the chains ah’you trick us into wearing
We used to crown ourselves with it
adorned from head to toe and even in our teeth
Withheld suck teeth cause we to watch face too quickly
minding skin teeth like it grin
instead a being mindful bout tomorrow
we too look fuh quick belly full today
Buh is ahrite man
Sometimes when we buss, we does have to sit on deh sidelines and sweat out of the heat of the kitchen, even tho we is who whisper the recipe dem
When the kettle blow and the cock crow tis den we know wha time it is
is oursyde or ironside in yuh backside and yuh bess know what tuh seh
respon’ wrang and is pure cutlass
We does be in
errrrting
erryplace yuh tun
Fire, watah, win, earT
always been so
always gon be
We does only leh massah bukrah dem TINK deh deh in charge
Buh when conch shell blow
Doan ask no questian
Jus be ready
Stap fret and Doan worry yuh’self man
You gon know when…
How yuh ask?
Well ! Meeno wha to tell yuh
Is jus a feelin’
IS lang time fuh de likkle colony-dem to decolonize decolonization,
And rise back up
like the Chtru nation
We is.
Loose poem translation:
Recognition. The knowing that our people are, have always been, and will always be, who everyone everywhere admires for our every reason—the original. We know our worth, and we are reclaiming it. We had a moment of self-doubt. Forgetting our priorities, trusting blindly, and falling into the failure of greed. But that time is over. We fell, and stayed on the ground for a while, always recognizing our own significance, yet needing to re-evaluate a moment before standing back up.
As the time draws near, we are readying and refocusing. We know who we are. Nature has never forsaken us, nor have we her. We just allowed the colonizer to rule for a while, but when we get the signal to go, those who are ready will do what we need to. Those who are confused may be left behind if they don’t get back to themselves and shake off the imaginary comforts and protections that are just distractions, gaslighting our way deeper into the dark. It’s time to shake off the chains and reclaim what is naturally and rightfully ours. Our freedom. Ruling over our minds, bodies, and souls without need for dependence other than that of self and community.
Comments