Legends. Myths. Folktales. These sources of information seem to far outlast a single lifetime. What we see, what we read, and what we listen to are the things that connect our present to our past, and they serve as pillars to our future. As an African American, I understand all too well the importance of knowing and creating your own story.
But how does a person of color discover their story, especially if you are African American? Black folks in America know that our history has been redacted, or forgotten about completely. Generations upon generations of Black stories end up buried with the people that once lived them, never given the chance to grow into a long-lasting legacy.
As Blacks in America, how can we cope with this painful truth as well as take strides to claim our own individuality?
I believe the answer lies in the recent upsurge of black content creators. Creating content for ourselves is not only vital for portraying our unique expressions as spirits having a Black experience, but also in forming a self-preserving civilization for the decedents of African slaves in America. More than ever, we see people like Lena Waithe, Issa Ray, Kenya Barris, and Tyler Perry, just to name a few, who are doing the work to expand Black narratives.
More than ever, we see people like Lena Waithe, Issa Ray, Kenya Barris, and Tyler Perry, just to name a few, who are doing the work to expand Black narratives.
“You never know someone’s true story,” says Oprah Winfrey, in the video below, to a seven-year-old child who allegedly attempted to stab his own mother. In the beginning, the child is presented to us as a 7-year-old demon from hades, but as he speaks it becomes clearer who this kid really is. It’s as if the veil of falsehood is lifted. Notice how he is significantly more grounded in his thinking, positive and might I say quite eloquent for such a young age.
I bring this to your attention because being Black in this country can often feel like being put in the place of a child. Not to say our problems and concerns are no more complex than the dealings of a 7-year-old child, they are just often silenced, and regarded as such to a great extent. Many times, without an emotional outlet at our disposal for some of our misunderstood anger.
It goes to show the importance of being able to speak your truth. As an individual, knowing what your story is, and being able to tell it, is vital for the differentiation between what people perceive you to be and who you are, despite your mistakes – and more commonly the stereotypes we as Black people often get associated with.
Imagine if we were associated with more positive images, would the benefit of the doubt be extended to us more often? Would more little black children grow up to own businesses, become writers, artists, or teachers, if they were exposed to stories with characters who resembled them? The answer is of course. To put it simply, telling our story is necessary for healing our past, in order to build a better future.