BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2021

When I was younger I hated Black History Month

I can remember so vividly being in 4th grade and the first day of February came around and my teacher had us watch the Ruby Bridges Movie. I remember looking around the room and watching my white classmates watch this movie but non of them had the same tears in their eyes that I did.

I ran out of the room crying that day, because that was the first time I realized I was the only Black kid in the room besides the little Black girl on the screen, the same little girl who was being hated on by her white classmates simply because of the color of her skin

I grew up ONLY learning the trauma of Black History, I only saw the hatred, and the pain, and the struggle that came from being Black.

So when @dawn.andd.dusk + @shelfranciscreative asked me to join them as a photographer in this shoot that represented Black History Month I was honestly so hesitant at first because it is something that I am still processing, I didn’t know what this experience would look like or if it was genuine for me to participate when I have been really struggling this year.

I tried to put all my anxiety off and for that I am so happy I did! @dawn.andd.dusk + @shelfranciscreative put so much effort into the creativity of this shoot, and so many times I had to stop and process how healing it was to celebrate Black History, and Black people in this authentic way.

For the first time Celebrating Black History wasn’t about the trauma of being Black but instead we turned into art and creativity, and coming together as a community to laugh smile and uplift each other, and I can honestly say that I walked away with a since of healing and definitely a stronger sense of what Black History means to me.

There is so much strength, resilience, love, hope, faith, art, beauty, and joy in our history and it’s so powerful to look at these photos and know that history is still running through our veins, our streets, and our community and for that I am so so grateful.