How Anti-Racism Work Made Me A Humanitarian
Anti-racism work has made me a humanitarian over the years. As I have worked with multiple faith communities, organizers, and every day activists, I have delved deeply into the practice of being a humanitarian, a concerned citizen, a servant leader. These efforts have helped me understand the human condition in profound, moving ways.
Anti-racism work is not lighthearted, it is not sexy or glamorous. If you are looking for props, then anti-racism work often-times will not provide you with any. It is the important work of the human spirit that can help you transform yourself, your community, your neighborhood. It is transformative work for the betterment of humanity. It has helped me keep my sanity.
When I became a Unitarian Universalist in 2002 I had no idea my ancestors were leading me to the path of anti-racism work. They had to be walking with me and in me when I was approached and asked did I want to come check out The Unitarian Universalist Church located in my hometown of Rockford, Illinois. Quickly and excitedly I found myself going to a conference in Washington, DC led by Diverse, Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM). Months later I found myself at a DRUUMM conference being trained as an anti-racism activist.
The training I received, and the subsequent conferences and workshops in various cities across the United States, catapulted my ability to reason, to think, to translate the hardships of especially Black people, my people. On a national level I began sharing the experiences of the African diaspora in regards to racial injustice and inequities. Finding partners or groups to collaborate with, I was showing my dedication, my humanitarian drive to be someone who could break down racism.
Although no longer a Unitarian Universalist, I credit my time with them for providing me with the anti-racism activities and education I needed to become who I am today.
I was raised by a family full of humanitarians. It is in my genes, in my upbringing to be someone who is empathetic to the struggles of a people. I am blessed increasingly to know of the trials of we Black people in order to represent us, to tell our stories, to locate allies who want to bring an end to racism. I am not expecting to be a millionaire as an anti-racist leader and activist. I am in this work for the human side of things, to build right relations, to educate the masses. This is work of the spirit that speaks to me.
When I wrote Poetry That Gives Birth To Revolution in 2001 it helped me become equipped even more as an anti-racist, social justice, and human rights activist.
Although the poem covers multiple injustices or inequities, the fire to use it as an anti-racism poem came from the activist energy of the Black Power Movement. The poem is laced with anti-racism thought and practice. If it was not for my involvement with anti-racism work the poem would not have been written. It is my human effort to bring attention creatively to racism in the United States and beyond.
If it is not human to fight against racism then what is?
Black youth need to see me as a human being who helped bring hope to the west side of Rockford, Illinois, or wherever I am brought and blessed to reach people through anti-racism work, efforts. They must see humans working together to work against harming them, especially because of state sanctioned violence or racists who want to pray on them. It is human, humanitarian to show them someone cares about their Black futures to fight for equity and justice for Blacks everywhere.
The human in me makes me sit still and examine the Black experience in this country to come up with ways to continue to combat racism, anti-Blackness, racial injustice. The human in me helps me find the necessary music with pro Black messages to move me into action, to inform me when I need more education about race relations, the mistreatment of Black people. The human in me encourages me to reach out to Black thought leaders who are accomplishing life-changing work for the freedom of us Black people.
I will continue to be human and working as an anti-racism activist.
