Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Its probably not sexy to talk about the nuanced experiences that take place within the black community right now – since a lot of energy is placed on the outside forces impacting us.
But i just had an interchange with a black man in the community i grew up in. We didn’t know each other.. but i walked away.. feeling joy. Maybe i was just happy, but I’m gonna go with joy.
I’m walking on a tight sidewalk with a car parked up on the road so both of us couldn’t walk. Both of us were wearing dark, baggy and sporty clothes. He was focused on where he was going; so was I. The car between us made both of us stop and we looked up. I smiled and gestured that he should walk through, then he smiled back and gestured that I walk through. That then ended up in an awkwardness, where neither of us were sure who should go first. We laughed in that moment and we figured out a way past each other. The smiles and laughs were welcoming. No words were exchanged, but I think we were both happy to see each other and we enjoyed the pleasantness of that situation.
There was so much meaning packed in this 15 second, non-verbal interaction.
I used a lot of nice language here, that in my world, could come across as soft (or in London speak – ‘moist’), but I don’t care. The idea that me as a black dude speaking on a pleasant interaction with a male stranger in my area, can be viewed negatively is plain sad. But I still feel the discomfort within myself too. It’s uncomfortable writing this, but I am hoping that doing so would help purge some of that nonsense from me.
I feel that there is a healing that needs to take place within my community. We have injured each other for so long.
Yes, there are systems and agendas in place which, at best, have influenced these things to happen; but that doesn’t take away from the how individual responds. Pushing against the outside forces are important, but I am much more interested and invested in, the naming and healing of the harm that we, in this community, have done to each other.
I sleep easier knowing this is my focus.
