To my fellow Blaxiters

"You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still, I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard ’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame, I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain, I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear, I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear, I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise."

Maya Angelou, Still I Rise

There has been a movement for some time now, of Black Americans, African Descendents of Slaves, deciding to venture out of the USA to search for peace, belonging and safety elsewhere. Through social media, Black people from across the diaspora testify on their journey and encourage others who are afraid to make a change that they so desperately desire for themselves and their families. It is hard when the world has shown you that no one values your humanity, or right to happiness and respect, to then expect to experience that anywhere. Oftentimes it is easier to stay with the abuser you know. This post is for those of you who follow my blog. I came across this well-known poem by Maya Angelou today. I have always loved it, but I think it spoke to me especially now. I do not know why. I don't even know why I feel the need to dedicate it to you all, but I am sure that whomever is reading it will understand. I am always heartened when I read the testimonies of so many of us recounting how our spirits and shoulders feel lighter, our bodies are healthier, our heart feels stronger since leaving the US. I enjoy seeing you all frolic and lounge and play and own the space you occupy without apology, in all corners of the globe. I hope we can all channel the sass and the confidence and the self-love in this poem. This post is dedicated to all of my fellow Blaxiters.