New Afrika - Prolouge
As I stared down at the beautiful pink and blue Georgia sunset, I realized that this was the first time in my life that I had actually lived. My father always told me that my freedom was mine and no one could take it away. I lived my life through this lens even as I was oppressed with every breath I took. It was commonplace for me to accept the beatings that life gave me while telling myself that I was free, that I was happy. It wasn’t until much later after a lot of education and learning that I realized that I was not free. I had been a slave to white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism all of my life. I do not think my father lied to me, I genuinely think he believed this through no fault of his own. He, like many other stolen Afrikans, had done what they needed to do in order to survive. One cannot live too long in fight or flight mode, and when faced with an overwhelming fight it can be better to survive. Luckily for us, there was a long legacy of those who risked their lives to keep up our revolutionary spirit. I am a seed born of this tree, and today I set my roots in New Afrika.
“Have you ever seen such beauty,” I asked my partner Kemba who just came up behind me.
They peered off in the distance, the look on their face tipped me off to the very words they would say. “Hell no, it's remarkable. There might have been one more vibrant, or striking but this is the first time I have seen one and felt that it was for me. For the first time in my life, the shackles are off.” They laughed and twirled around spinning with their hands in the air. “For new Afrika!” they yelled. Various hoots and hollers in affirmation confirmed that our sentiment was being shared by others in our community.
As much as I was enjoying what should have been a perfect moment, there was a small sense of regret in my heart. I was blessed to be here with the love of my life but many beautiful souls did not make it with us in this fight. We struggled for almost three long years on this journey and naturally, it was riddled with bloodshed, heartbreak, and betrayal. “Do you mind if I say a few words?” I asked my love. They gave me a look that said of course but why must you dim the mood. As much as I loved them, this was our biggest point of contention. While they lived almost shockingly in the present, I have always been riddled by the ghosts of my past to the point that I sometimes become overwhelmed with grief. Over the years they have taught me to let go, but there are still moments where I cling to it to the point of bursting. “To all of those who did not make it here with us, I thank you for giving all you had to our cause. It pains me that y'all are not here to savor this moment with us. I carry my love for everyone of you within me and I swear to pass down your legacy so that you will never truly leave this earth. We are going to build something special here. Something this world has never seen. This will be a place where all are free. In mind. In body. In spirit. We have much work to do but we are a strong united community. You all helped us do the hard part, we got it from here.”