people sometimes ask me why i chose the name black self wellth.
for a long time, i answered by explaining the name.
today, i answer differently.
black is not something i honor because the world gave it meaning.
black is something i honor because Allah created it.
when i think about black,
i do not begin with what the world has said about us.
i begin with what our communities have always protected.
family.
faith.
breath.
tenderness.
belonging.
the people who raised us.
the names we remember.
the meals shared around our tables.
the laughter that filled our homes.
the quiet ways we cared for one another.
this is where i begin.
not because these are the only things that matter,
but because they are some of the things our communities have always carried.
to say black is to honor that inheritance.
not only what has been endured,
but what has been created.
what has been nurtured.
what has been loved.
what has been carried forward.
this is the black i honor.
peace be with you.