stay black
it’s what my grandmother often says before she’s about to hang up the phone
stay black
it’s the thought i have whenever i buy a black piece of clothing
stay black
i whisper to the night sky dusted with twinkling light.
but should i stay black when the world demands something lighter, softer, quieter?
is there a way to reverse the effect when the sun fades a few layers of blackness off my shirt? is a lighter black shirt any less black than a deep black one?
shall i argue with God when the night sky fades to a new & bright day?
do i bring my unknown ancestors shame when i wish to do anything but to stay black?
should i continue to try to find the imago dei in this melanin skin of mine?
yes! of course!
and just like a black marker, black bleeds into everything it touches.
the light may chase away the darkness, but HIS light illuminates mine.
and even in the faded look of my black clothing it is still in style.
and we all know that black goes with everything...EVERYTHING
blackness is no longer a backdrop but center stage, front and center. commanding armies and connecting communities. demanding change and dominating different fields.
athletes, artists, musicians, and physicians.
let me put it this way, i’ll stop being black when the color yellow stops looking good on me.
so yes, i will boldly stay black in times when i am the only black face in a light space
and i will celebrate the other beautiful black faces in other light spaces.
and i will choose to see the imago dei in all people, and i will stay black while doing it.