It’s Black History month…2021. We bring forward and remember a little longer the history of Black Americans whose blood, sweat, and tears and unrewarded labor made America the thriving social and economic power it is today. We might remember the creative genius of artists, inventors, philosophers, peace activists, doctors, lawyers, and educators and many more who came before us and on whose shoulders we sit and stand.

It’s especially poignant this year, after the past years of a growing white nationalist movement. A movement whose purpose is to do the exact opposite of what this month celebrates. We take even greater care in inviting in these ancestors of Black liberation, to guide us forward. Our ancestors struggled and lived and loved bravely and died through different movements of white supremacy and nationalism. And here we are today, bolder, stronger, and more beautiful for their struggles and sacrifices.

This sacredness and power of Black ancestors is something we celebrate collectively. Remembering them brings them back in us, and around us.

So let us remember. With bright eyes, with pride, with joy, compassion, and courage.

We are of strong roots, not just in the Americas, but from across the world. We who see and acknowledge ourselves in our ancestors and our ancestors in us (embodied presence), continue them into the future. This continuation is the celebration of Black history, every day, all day.