A Movement of Ancestors

Is there there any room for faith in the movement, y’all — for realz?

I get that a lot of people are wary of all things religious. Shit, Pink has had their share of rants about spirituality, basically calling bullshit on the whole racket. I already told you, I’m a multitude, and I hope y’all don’t think I’m comin’ at this closed-minded. This a mah fuggin’ dialogue! If I’m presented with evidence to the contrary, I’mma share that shit.

I carry the blood of my 10th great grandfather, King Christian of Denmark, the Tyrant of Oldenburg. His 7th great granddaughter, Fannie Russell, illegally married a pure-blood African sharecropper named Walter Hendrick. From them came my Grandma Betty, then my mom, and then me. If that’s not a sign of a power greater than the U.S. Government, I don’t know what is. Love deserves a place in the movement for Black Lives.

Speeches at the rallies talk about unity. People in the street, most of whom are White, throwing up the middle finger at the establishment bothers the fuck out of me. I don’t care if it offends the cops. This ain’t about respectability politics, y’all. It offends the ancestors. It also denies a mystical component to this movement that is fueled by our ancestors and their faith. It assumes that just because we old folks aren’t in the street, we’re not doing the work.

A protest of Chicana anti-Columbus Day organizers in Colorado started with a circle of blessing, calling on the spirits of the directions. They appealed to the ancestors to guide our actions and our words and to protect us. When Breonna Taylor’s name is evoked, she is present there among the ancestors, ready to take action on her own behalf. This is how the elders participate . They bless this movement, they call on the spirits using ancient practices. We minimize their efforts when we deny and dishonor spirit.

Maybe I’m just standing on the sidelines being critical while the current leadership martyrs themselves. I don’t want anymore martyrs on my behalf. I’m ready to use the tools of my African ancestors and leave all forms of tyranny behind. I’m not here to fight people. I want to change them, and saying “fuck you” doesn’t serve that purpose.

Come at me, y’all.