Patience Looks Different on Us

Hey y'all,

Welcome to yet another session about the state of the black community, of which I cherish dearly, and how we as the rejooov collective can combat the feelings of dread that accompany living in a society that promises change but is slow to deliver.

You're smart, you know what it means to be patient.

But just to remind you, it's defined as one's capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering WITHOUT getting angry or upset.

However, there are sub definitions, because patience can show up in one of two ways:

1. Passive waiting, simply letting things happen without taking action. You're basically hoping for the best, without putting in any effort to see your wants through, and

2. Active endurance, strategic coping and asking for support to manage difficult situations, rather than passively tolerating them.

I hate to start a sentence off like this but, as a black woman (blegh), I have to say that we, the black community, have been in a perpetual state of passive waiting. We're practicing patience by sitting idle and waiting for what we want (what DO we want, btw?) without putting any effort behind it.

Before civil rights were implemented in America and the death of MLK altered any future that may have come from actively seeking economic justice for the stolen labor of the enslaved, our ancestors did all they could whilst being patient, to push for the rights we celebrate today.

Passive waiting, in the years since the civil rights movement, has been to the detriment of our community. While we stayed idle, waiting for this government to do right, we've forgotten what it took to get us this far. We've neglected the work it takes to push our community forward sans government, and we've accepted the individualistic nature of American society so succinctly that even coming together as a group to show solidarity is deemed questionable.

So here is what I'm asking of the rejooov collective and you, reader,

Start practicing that same form of active endurance folks in the 1940's did and get involved with your local community's politics. MAKE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE. A lot of folks like to say we aren't our ancestors, and I can't agree that that's a good thing. We stand on the shoulders of giants, and it would behoove us to practice the elements that got us where we are today.

The process of rejooov is still very much based on using the action of self-discovery and exploration to push yourself further and align yourself to your goals, but if seeing the betterment of our community isn't a goal of yours, I'm curious to know why.

Tell me your thoughts on this in the comments,

I'm ready to tussle :)

Love & Light

-Cina