Black Power
The term "Black Power" was popularized by Stokely Carmichael and Willie Ricks during a speech in 1966. However, Richard Wright's book entitled Black Power was published in 1954. Since then, there have been several terms that celebrate Black Empowerment, (#BlackGirlMagic, #BlackGirlsRock, #BlackLivesMatter, #BlackisBeautiful, #ImBlackandImProud, #BlackPride, #BlackExcellence). All of these terms resonate within the Black community.
I finally saw Black Panther. I posed with my fist in the air next to signage. I dressed in all black. I encouraged my daughters, mother, and mother in law to do the same. We posed with our stuffed T'Challa beaming with pride. Representation matters. Gianna and Jai'Lynn will remember that three generations of their family went to see Black Panther on a school night. They will remember the Dora Milaje. They will remember the pretty little girl in the bathroom with dashiki. They will remember Shuri, the STEM genius.
Black Power is about representation in the global marketplace. It is about economic, social, and political empowerment. It is about positive media representation. It is about reclaiming our time, our talents, and our heritage.
Martin's Dream
The political landscape in America is changing. Party lines, race, sexuality, and religion have divided us more than ever. Ignorance is running rampant. Tolerance is running low. We are still struggling to realize Martin's Dream. We have yet to hold certain truths to be self-evident. We still don't believe that all men are created equal. We have yet to sit at a table of brotherhood. Mississippi has not been transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. Black and Brown children are not being judged by the content of the character. Our nation, now more than ever, seems to be determined to undermine the progress of the last fifty years. We are moving closer to embracing Jim Crow and redlining and calling it the norm. Systematic racism and sexism is alive and well. I often want to ask, whatever happened to Martin's Dream? Do we still want freedom to ring from every hill and mountaintop? Do we want to stay woke or are we content with the nightmares on our street?
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963