Black love is a tender experience that permeates throughout our culture in innumerable ways. It is a form of honest expression that asks us to move with care and intention. It is inextricably linked to our grasp of freedom; positioning themselves as twin revolutions that anchor us in the turbulent beauty of transformation. Beyond romantic love, we have the ability to cultivate life experiences that center love and freedom in everything that we see and touch.
This virtual sit-in is dedicated to all the ways Black love shows up in our lives through visual culture (photography, film, music videos, music) and how creativity pushes us to expand and redefine its presence. Come with memory and imagination as your guide.
We have love and freedom work to do.
James Baldwin gets a lot of play on the internet highway and in classrooms now! I strongly recommend you pick up a copy of his book. Matter of fact, if you email me, I will send you a copy - Ima use this to see who’s reading…. :)
The images & captions below were taken from ‘Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris’, a 27 min, 1971 documentary film by a group of white filmmakers who went to interview the iconic writer about racism in America.
I’m curious to know what these stills make you think about. What kind of love do you think James Baldwin is talking about?
As a matter of fact what is your idea of love anyway?
I really enjoy thinking about love as raw emotion. Actually, it’s more like a verb or an impulse. It asks you to say things you’re not always encouraged to reveal (I mean as long as it’s coming from a sincere and honest place). It asks you to strip away. It’s like a time-traveling, world flipping emotional monster (think of a hormone monster’s very pleasant cousin). It pushes you to imagine how the way your actions and choices make you feel. As a community experiencing a world that is a revolving, chaotic sphere, more of us should be encouraged to
So lets do more of that, right? More throwing ourselves in the environments, the arms, the mental spaces that always call us to feel like water. To spill out with
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
Now over 22 years since its release, this debut solo album is one of the best selling albums of all time. I know y’all old enough to know Ex-Factor!!! If not, please bless yourself here.
Anyway, the most cherished parts of this album are the interludes and the NYT (New York Times) got a chance to interview the children who voiced those beautiful transitions 20 years later. I was 8-years-old when this came out and I was crying and feeling the love in this album. Like every chord and every lyric and vocal note struck me. And hearing from teenagers as a small child was like listening to all the cool kid conversations. I thought the things they were saying were SO DEEP. And, you know what? I still do.
You may have to make a quick account to read/hear this but I promise its beautiful storytelling is unmatched.
