What is your relationship to dancing?
When I’m dancing, it truthfully feels like standing in sunshine. It’s how I feel the glory of myself, and those who came before me. It’s how I revive my roots, how I’m in spiritual communication. So when I’m not remembering me- or when I’m having a hard time- moving my body lets Source, my Ancestors show me what’s needing to be moved through. Dance helps me embody who I am truly and why I’m here.
What do roots mean to you? What’s the importance of roots?
When I feel roots in this present moment, it’s fully acknowledging the empires of power my ancestors have implanted in this earth for me to kick up, and remember is there. Like, my grandmother started from nothing and she built this sanctuary that me, my cousins, my mom, her siblings- we go and feed from this garden. It’s the love, the strength, the hurt, the pain, the prayers. Really roots are, am I listening to the prayers of my ancestors? And am I trying to actualize that as a reality for future generations?
Many of our roots have been disconnected. And my personal journey of, having both parents from the West Indies, but born in the States…I can see how our lenses have been affected by the different layers of oppression faced on U.S soil versus West Indies soil. And it causes confusion in me for sure. I don’t feel my full essence in being here, but then when I go back, I don’t feel it there either. And it’s been this realizing that, yo, our roots are everywhere. Then I take a step back and look at the whole Diaspora, and– we’re part of something way grander than we’ve been told. And it’s important to reclaim that inner knowingness back within our beings.
How do you practice reclaiming?
By asking my family, my elders about their personal experiences, and any knowledge they have about those before them. My grandfather was a sailor. He sailed across Egypt, Ethiopia, India, China…and having that truth of all these amazing things my grandfather has done was a step in realizing how much energy is waiting to be tapped into. And it’s a blessing to have access to that.
And in situations where Beings don’t have the ability to communicate with family- we can still find connection through dancing, meditation…decolonizing the parts within that need to be made aware, so we’re not letting lies influence how we perceive ourselves. And really looking at, how are we treating each other? How are we being treated by oppressors? And where are we shining a light of true liberation?
How do you stay grounded, while promoting Black liberation?
It’s an everyday practice. In the beginning of the journey, a lot of the ways I was not rocking with myself were brought to the surface, and directly projected to the people I was trying to connect with. So when I’m not believing (without a doubt) my own truths- our truths- then I’ll just be met with defensiveness or deflection, cause people can feel when you’re not in full integrity with your message. So I’m preaching all these things about Black Liberation, breaking the binds of mental slavery (and really just in line with the Rastafarian movement) but if I’m not doing the inner work of therapy, self love, self reverence- then it will just be used against the awakening of the Diaspora. I feel this has become a deep journey of befriending my mind, and using it as a source of power so that it doesn’t destabilize the mission.
Why do you choose vulnerability?
My vulnerability is my protection. And at the end of the day, it’s the only way to experience myself. Moments of vulnerability allow for deep healing in the mind, body, spirit. We’re still remembering that medicine, but I think being honest will save us, for real.
I can’t imagine how many things wouldn’t occur if someone just said “yo these are my feelings, this is what is going on inside of me.” And if we had these outlets in community, it would be revolutionary. Which, they know that, and that’s why this shit’s not supported. But truly the world is not against our liberation. It’s only a small select of people- but the world, the universe, the diaspora, does want this healing to occur.
How do you feel, we should love each other through?
The one thing I see within my Black community is this lack of gentleness within ourselves. There are many factors that have pushed us to become harsher than we actually are. There is this deep level of sorrow, frustration, anger that hasn’t been processed. And yes the system needs to be held accountable but I really think it begins with holding ourselves, and offering solace to each other.
What are your thoughts around reparations?
That it’s necessary. I think every community that has been subjected to having their homes, their resources stolen– we all deserve to receive our birthright. I’m a huge advocate of going back to Africa, like, let me get reparations for a flight back home and a promise not to exploit these homelands anymore. But, honestly I haven’t seen reparations being done on any scale that feels righteous- so I think I have this lack of hope that we could get what we’re deserving of.
How can this community support you?
The community can support me by waking up each day, and asking “how can I be an instrument of the highest desire for the collective?”. Try to learn something new every day, every week about the reality of what’s happening around you- there are things affecting us all the time that we don’t know anything about- so stay aware, stay in love, stay inspired.
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Thank you TRINITI, we are lifting you up, and holding you in.
Follow along TRINITI’s journey here.