Posts

May's Question: What has gone well for you this year?

Image
Becoming30 is a writing project that I developed out of my depression during 2015-2017. This was during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. I was in such an emotional space trying to find the tools to process all the death, all the violence that I witnessed each time I opened social media. Those years, I searched for tools to be able to continue my work, but my grief was too much. Right now, seeing my very own home state Minnesota erupt, because of the history of police brutality and racism built into every institution, has brought me to a familiar state.  In my letter to Baldwin, I talked about my attempt to heal as I age. I do this by allowing myself to feel. it. all. Name my emotions. Accept my emotions. Examine the hurt and exhaustion. But also finding a way to set those emotions aside so as to not let myself spiral. 2015-2017 were some of the most painful memories of my life, but I promised myself something this year: I will not allow white supremacy to steal...
Post a Comment
Read more

April's Question: What do you love about yourself?

Image
Becoming30 is a writing project that is essentially about building self-awareness. Through this documented reflection, my goal is clarity. Clarity as it pertains to who I am and who I want to become. Turning 30 has always been a source of excitement for me because there is that belief that when you turn that magical number you are your most confident self. However, I know now confidence comes from self-acceptance and intentionality. My future-self will be all that I imagine her to be because of the steps I am taking currently. Becoming30 is about acknowledging all I have done while looking forward to the future. This blog will act as an archive for my last year of my 20s and a space for me to manifest my destiny as a writer. Every month I will ask myself reflective questions but I invite you to participate in the comments or privately in your journal. Regardless of age, we are always becoming someone new. Let's celebrate this journey together. This month's question is...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dear Mr. Baldwin

Image
Dear Mr. Baldwin, I first met you when I was twenty-seven, I had recently returned to our nation with much reservation. Similar to you, I did not miss much about the United States; not the individualist culture nor the ethnocentric values that governed the way we learned about the world around us. Coming off the heels of living nearly three years in Rwanda and traveling eastern and southern Africa, I accomplished things I had at one point only dreamed about. For those years, everywhere I went—the bank, the dentist, school, restaurants, and shopping complexes, I was among black people. This was a stark difference from growing up in Minnesota where a professor in college once walked up to me before class and pulled my braids asking if my new hairstyle was “a hat.” Before leaving the States, there was an insurgence of recorded police brutality. The violence was no longer hidden, and it was overwhelming. So, Mr. Baldwin, to travel where I was among the majority was much ne...
1 comment
Read more