79. A Long Time Coming – Dr. Angela Cooke-Jackson
How do we disrupt the concept of intimacy—usually limited to private spaces and those we are close to—and expand it to a national conversation about our collective grief and trauma?
Recently I was listening to a favorite podcast, “Death, Sex & Money,” hosted by Anna Sale. In the episode—“This Has Been a Long Time Coming”—Sale, who is white, asked her Black listeners to share what they needed to say in this moment of reckoning with police brutality, structural racism, inequitable access to healthcare and the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on communities of color. As a Black woman, I found the call-in responses overwhelming, and I began to weep. The pain was palpable, and I connected with each person as they shared the personal trauma and grief they were experiencing. I understood their collective feelings of anxiety, of fear, of nausea at the thought of doing something as simple as going for a walk outside.
I am noticing this happening a lot right now. People who are ordinarily disconnected are connecting, sharing their raw emotions, stories, opinions, and beliefs with the world. These deeply private experiences are now permeating public discourse. The struggles of the present moment have created a fascinating intimacy and visceral transparency.
Is it possible for us to continue to disrupt silence, to provide a starting point for previously omitted conversations? How do we disrupt the concept of intimacy—usually limited to private spaces and those we are close to—and expand it to a national conversation about our collective grief and trauma? How do we simultaneously create new messages of redemption, healing, and transformation?
– Dr. Angela Cooke-Jackson
Prompt:
Think about the memorable messages—either positive or negative—you received during your formative years about sharing your intimate feelings and grief with others. Where did the messages come from, and what made them memorable? Do you still carry them with you today? If not, what precipitated the shift? In the cacophony of raw emotions emerging in this current climate, what are you learning about yourself, your intimate circle, and the people beyond it?
Diane Perry
Location: Home SWEET Home
About: An autobiographical memory about recognizing my gift.
Age: 68
It was during my FIRST year in public school, KINDERGARTEN, my regular seat mate in the reading circle was Pamela C. Rice, we gravitated toward each other during this NEW season in both our lives. It was 1957.
Early-on I noticed her distinctive, ARTISTIC skills…whether finger painting, sketching, or drawing…she stood out significantly. I had never seen anyone create such artistic beauties, whether with crayon or pencil.
When I returned home that day, I immediately ran to my grandfather, we fondly referred to as “Poppa”, and introduced him to my “new-found” friend and her tremendous talents. She showed him his work, and from that day forward, he always spoke of her talent when he greeted her as: ‘The Artist”.
Tried as I might, I had artistic concepts in my head, but not the ability to translate what I saw or felt onto paper…like Pamela. When I told Poppa about it, he wisely replied: “EACH to his own daughter, EACH to his own.”
Poppa lived to be 111 years old. He’s been gone for “38” years…and yet, he lingers…not only in my bloodline…but also…his words of wisdom resound gloriously to me and I remain “Thankful”, he was there, along with my parents imparting sage wisdom that continues to ground me to this day.
About Pamela…she became a well-known artist, writer, illustrator and entrepreneur, who was also impacted by Poppa’s pronouncement in her life as ‘The Artist’, she painted a portrait of him from a 1967 photograph several years ago that underscores the scriptural testament of: “To whom much is given…Much is Required.”
I learned to Journal…as a matter of survival.