POV: You the Opp

Happy Monday, my people. And a special hello to the Opps hating from inside the club — don’t get too comfortable though, this one’s for you.

Last week’s rejooovism was for the builders — the community leaders, organizers, and folks committed to strengthening the Black community from the inside out. But this week? I’m talking to the ones who read that message and still missed the point.

Dear Hater of the Black Community,

Maybe you read last week’s message and felt like we weren’t aligned. Maybe you recognized yourself in the examples — the subtle digs, the “just being honest” comments, the recycled talking points that sound a little too familiar to the ones used against us. Or maybe you felt I didn’t break down clearly enough why those behaviors qualify as grade‑A hating.

Either way, let’s clear the air.

I created The Rejooov Collective because hating within the Black community is a symptom of something deeper. Internalized racism is a wellness issue — not a personality quirk, not a moment of “keeping it real,” and definitely not a sign of being different or edgy. It’s a pattern shaped by systems that reward us for distrusting, dismissing, or disrespecting one another.

So when you go against your own community, you’re not standing out.

You’re repeating a script designed to keep us fractured.

But here’s the truth: you can choose differently.

You can choose to be inspired instead of cynical.

You can choose to see issues and work toward solutions instead of weaponizing them.

You can choose to be useful.

And that choice starts with awareness.

Where Wellness Comes In

If you’re tired of being the Opp and ready to enact real change, the work doesn’t start with “fixing the community.” It starts with you. Strengthening your wellness practice isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what nourishes you, grounds you, and aligns you with who you’re becoming.

And if internalized racism is a wellness issue, and wellness is awareness + self‑care, then you must:

• Acknowledge & question your own biases — Not just in debate, but in reflection. Why do you feel the way you feel? Where did those beliefs come from?

• Develop a wellness spine — Build the daily practices that keep you upright when life, community, or the world gets heavy.

• Diversify & get to know your community — Being Black is not a monolith. The more you connect, the more you understand how circumstances shape people.

• Engage from curiosity, not judgment — When you lead with judgment, you assume you already know someone’s story, their motives, or their capacity. But when you lead with curiosity, you make space to understand the why behind people’s choices, behaviors, and circumstances. Curiosity doesn’t excuse harm — it helps you understand the root so you can respond with intention instead of reaction.

Why be a hater when you could be the change? Why be cynical toward a community still finding its footing after generations of external attack and internal strain?

A Shift Toward Wellness

I truly believe that if Black communities shifted their focus from performing excellence to practicing wellness, we’d see more progress — more healing, more unity, more growth.

Wellness makes space for accountability. Wellness makes space for compassion. Wellness makes space for transformation.

Wellness is the beginning — community is what sustains it.

If you felt seen, called out, or called in… good.

That’s where the work starts.

Tap in with the Rejooov Collective on IG (@therejooovco), TikTok (@rejooovcothoughts), and Facebook (The Rejooov Collective, LLC), and subscribe to the blog — we’re building a community rooted in awareness, not performance.

Let's change the way we view wellness.

Love & Light,

- Cina