Mehcad Brooks Instagram – Both my Great-Grandmothers were refugees in their own countries fleeing racially motivated t€rrorism and persecution. My Great-Grandmother Victoria Henderson was in her early 20’s when her and her family fled the #TulsaMassacre and made it to Manor, Texas with her extended family. Two generations after slavery they lost everything and would have to start over there.
My Great-Grandmother Queen Esther Harrison fled the Florida/Georgia line just before the #RedSummer of 1919. She left in 1916, walking most of the way to Harlem seeking refuge after t£rrorists set fire to her home and attempted to unalive her brother. She searched for him but fled the potential violence against her and her community before she could find him. She was 17 years old, she never saw him again.
Today I honor them both for the unshakeable joy, their presence and wisdom.
But not for their resilience. That kind of resiliency is born out of oppressive circumstances like #Tulsa and the countless others attacks the ancestors survived. There is a danger in simply celebrating their resiliency in the face of crushing oppression.
Refugees, like my Great-Grandmothers can find joy amidst oppression, but they shouldn’t have to.
Instead of praising resilience, we must condemn the oppression that forces it to be created and make certain we mitigate the circumstances that cause further this kind of resiliency in the future.
We need to dismantle oppressive systems, not create more resilient families.
Let’s be careful not to celebrate a family’s ability to adapt oppression and instead challenge the oppressive systems themselves.
I honor them in all the ways, particularly their ability to adapt to a society that tries to erase their successes.
#foundationalblackamericans
#wearehere #justakidfromaustin | Posted on 01/Jun/2024 04:44:06
