SELECT YOUR LANGUAGE

In this month of Valentine Day and Black History Month, we are celebrating Black Love.  Black Love is celebrated all year.  You might ask yourself, what is Black Love?  We can paint the picture in so many different ways of what black love is.  Black love is the love for your authentic self as a black person.  Black love is the love for black people.  Black love is the love shared in a black couple relationship.  Black love is caring for humankind.  Black love is the love for family and unification.  Black love is powerful and meaningful...it is everything.

​

A lot of people recognize the power of Black Love to the point where they try to do everything within their power to destroy it.  If outside influences can destroy your mind and how you feel about yourself as a black person, that influence can cause a breakdown in familial and personal relationships.  We have to be mindful of outside forces that attempt to separate us from loving one another the right way.  We have to work together so that we can stop competing for position and resources to the point where we can become like "crabs in a barrel." Or, stop loving each other, because we no longer love ourselves.

​

Black love is something to cherish, embrace, and empower.  Don't overlook Black love.  Even if we 

are not always taught to love ourselves and our blackness in many hues, or if we didn't grow up seeing positive depictions of black love.   Sometimes we are taught more about not depending on anyone and being self sufficient, and proud of our independence, and this can cause us to believe that we do not need one another.  There is nothing wrong with being able to do things for yourself, but there is strength in numbers and navigating through life is easier when you have help.

​

We have to take on the responsibility for building each other up and filling in the gaps in our lives, by joining together and standing together as a united front, on one accord, loving our blackness and loving each other in a much better way.  Some of us need to escape from the need for external validation that often aims to make us feel less valuable, unless we have...unless we do...or unless we are...you fill in the blank..  We cannot keep talking about the importance of inclusion and then exclude ourselves.  Black Love is beautiful.  Let's get back to embracing it.  Love the skin that you are in, stop hurting and killing one another, and get back to the core of what Black Love truly is. Cheers to Black Love. Happy Black History Month and Happy Valentine's Day!

​

​

By Lynnette Clement