In this clip, we will listen to community members discuss their experiences with home, connecting to roots and the values of our ancestors. This clip highlights the different aspects of recalibrating through decolonization as a mechanism to resist. The community members leverage connections to the ancestors to build a better future.
“Everything I do now is past, present, future.. I do it with and for the future generation”
The concept of Home resonates for me in defining resilience. I find that when I need to restore my sense of self and balance in my life a visit to where I grew up, virtually or in reality, is powerful. When I visit Home, I’m reminded of the values I was taught and how my ancestors manifested those values in their own struggles with discrimination and life in general. I feel strengthened and validated afterwards.
I, too, have often been seen as a “diversity poster child” in that those in authority see me as a more palatable black woman because of my physical appearance, way of speaking, social class, and generally non-threatening nature. I share the speaker’s frustration at not being seen as a whole person in those situations and at being the subject of the typical microaggressions, especially the statement “You’re not like the other (fill in the blank).”