Black In Between The Cracks

“Your skin is not only dark, it shines and it tells your story. Keep dancing, they can’t control you. They watch and they all adore you. If ever you are in doubt, remember what Mama told you.” —Beyonce Knowles, “Brown Skin Girl” (July 2019)

Black is synonymous with glory. It holds the power of greatness and has the potential to be even greater than it already is. In Africa, black can be attributed to power. Various shades of black and brown skin-complexions are united under the idea of having a strong, virtuous self-identity. Beautiful, ethnic African cultures thrive on their harmonious bond with nature—living alongside the wilderness and utilizing the resources given to them by Mother Earth. True kings and queens of their nation that stretches from the river Nile, down past the Sahara, and through the Congo. Black glory thats reach is greater than the muddied history of oppression and agony.

As young children, our minds do not organically divide and compartmentalize the world around us based solely on color. We live through our senses that drive our curiosity—itching to know more about the world. In grade school, we are surrounded by others who share similar qualities to us—qualities that break past the barriers defined by ethnicity. Naturally, we gravitate towards others who are kind, personable, intelligent, successful—all to which have nothing to do with the color of our skin.

Many powerful black figures continue to pave the way for the younger black generations—strengthening the community by building on the foundations of love, prosperity, and respect. Figures such as: Beyonce, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Bob Marley—that gave back to their communities through there passion to create positive change. It is evident in their successes that I, along with the black community, can also thrive in an environment that was not set to serve us appropriately. I aspire to become righteous in the life that I was granted and I am influenced by the black individuals that continue to put their best foot forward. Let us pay homage to the strong black individuals of all generations—past, present, and future—that continue to strive for greatness and refuse to be shackled and chained to societal biases. They are the real kings and queens.

Recently, I have resonated with Beyonce and her “Black is King” album. Her mission can be understood through the overwhelmingly beautiful visuals, art, and sounds that are in every video of this masterpiece. She praises the black community and pays homage to the motherland of Africa by incorporating African culture into her music. Her intent was to build up the black community and show us that we are a part of something bigger than what we see right in front of us. Why break each other down when we can build ourselves and each other up? We are greater than the trauma we endured in our early history and we shouldn’t repeat it. That’s what society wants. It wants us to fall back into the same toxicity that keeps us from achieving our fullest potential—the innate success that was bestowed upon us at birth.

The journey we go through intensifies as we progress deeper into the “Black is King” story. Emotions run high at the close of every visual and words cannot express the feelings of empowerment that overwhelms you as you go through the videos. The gravity of her voice, mixed with the visuals of Africa’s new world culture—as well as the old-world culture—instills hope and the strength to persevere through life’s most difficult battles. Through the music, we come to understand that we as people are resilient in the face of defeat. That we find our way back to our roots that ground us and give us the strength to dust ourselves off and carry on. Who am I to let someone else define me by the color of skin. I have the power to define my own worth, my own being, my destiny—who I am! I am young, black, and successful with opportunities all around me. I must never forget what it means to be black. What it means to be strong, beautiful, courageous, and daring. I can be greater than the biases and the oppression because I am a part of something way bigger—bigger than life itself! If I am ever in doubt, I will always remember what Mama Beyonce told me.

I am a king—a strong and beautiful black king.