I am very passionate about creating positive representations of black womanhood within the literary and media world. Although I am still planning my next steps after college, I know that I want to be thriving in an environment that is dedicated to empowering and uplifting the lived realities of black women across many different communities.
Knowing what I want, I would like to share why praise dancing saved someone like me.
¨I have always utilized these two phrases, "black women and youth empowerment" at my time at Wesleyan. As part of both categories, I could not see them as separate entities, but instead as closely intertwined.¨ | About two weeks ago, as I was preparing for my final exams, I spent time thinking about my post-college life. I have always utilized these two phrases, "black women and youth empowerment" at my time at Wesleyan. As part of both categories, I could not see them as separate entities, but instead as closely intertwined. I had room for both categories to grow through my involvement in campus activism, which involved protesting, walk-ins, sit-ins, writing for the student of color newspaper, and attending talks on many issues regarding police brutality, silence, violence, and women of color. I also got to see Camille Brown's Black Girl: Linguistic Play, which was an amazing dance performance expressing black girlhood and womanhood and our emotions in creative ways. That show reminded me how important Black girls truly rock and enabled me to seek comfort in engaging in much needed dialogue about our lived diverse realities, and perhaps my favorite form of intervention is dancing, praise dancing. |
| Praise dancing, dancing to gospel songs is what saved me from drowning in trying to make sense of our historic and current circumstances in American society, from drowning in self-doubt or bitterness, and from microaggressions from nonblack professors and students. It has saved me from losing my sanity whenever staying woke has exhausted my capabilities. | ¨I also got to see Camille Brown's Black Girl: Linguistic Play, which was an amazing dance performance expressing black girlhood and womanhood and our emotions in creative ways.¨ |
¨Praise dancing, dancing to gospel songs is what saved me from drowning in trying to make sense of our historic and current circumstances in American society¨ | I have found a love in praise dancing that has become a repository site for much needed restoration and rejuvenation. My first year at Wesleyan I joined the Wesleyan Praise Dancers team, but after the seniors graduated, I had difficulty finding other females to dance in it. Therefore, during my sophomore and junior year, I danced alone. Despite dancing by myself, I was supported by my closest friends who have always appreciated the art form and who have told me how incredible it was. Often after performances, which were usually for cultural showcases (I decided to push the boundaries of praise dancing outside of traditional church venues because I saw it as something more), students of all different backgrounds, would come up to me sometimes with tears, sometimes speechless at just the feeling the dance was able to conjure in them. |
As I heard those responses, I knew that that was God, not me! He had the power to move in people and remind people of love and unity. Something that I do before each performance is pray over the seats when no one is there. I learned how to do that while stepping at my local church in Brooklyn, as a way of treating everyone's lived experience as special.
Furthermore, at the start of my senior year, two young ladies reached out to me about wanting to perform in Praise Dance. They have seen me perform and was so touched that they wanted to join the movement. Delighted, we danced for the student annual showcase in September and one of them danced with me in a student-run showcase in November (notably the Saturday the week of the elections). That week alone made our hearts extremely heavy. The atmosphere on campus and to an extent the nation, was (and still is) in a state of mourning. Many students could not physically and mentally do work, and one of my Asian-American residents was targeted twice via hate crime notes found in his room. Personally, I was on dorm duty that Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, yet also planned on praise dancing in a show that Saturday. Praise dancing saved me.
| It reminded me of my existence, that I always mattered despite the circumstances. My friend, Destiny and I danced to "Greater is Coming" by Jekayln Carr and it literally restored not just us, but members watching. I felt a hunger and I told God that people want more. | ¨Destiny and I danced to ¨Greater is Coming¨ by Jekayln Carr |
¨Literally, [black women] rock, we are rocking...¨ | I write to say thanks to anyone who has reminded me that black women do rock in numerous and exciting ways. Literally, we rock, we are rocking, just like we are mattering to the generation of young people that are constantly told that we do not. |
I am very passionate about black womanhood and youth development. As an anthropology major I have learned to think critically, revisit and analyze alternative histories, and to write in ways until you actually see representations of yourself. I have been taught to be creative and to envision a space for yourself.
Below is the video of the praise dance that was performed in November. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNiYJ4wtIh4
RSS Feed