Many thanks to Tadeau and Carole Ott Coelho of Anima Vox for using my words from Am I Next in your first Cafezinho performance honoring Black Lives Matter. To view the full mini concert recorded on June 22, 2020, fast forward to 5:00.
Taboos shelter and comfort those threatened by perspectives different than their own. Sadly, to counter taboos with silence is to avoid an opportunity for dialogue that may bear fruit. While differences may not be resolved, dialogue provides for the planting of seeds that may, in time, foster internal growth and a greater depth of understanding. In 2020, I can think of no larger taboo than conversations on the construct of race in racially diverse settings. After centuries of not being free to speak our truth publicly, or of others not being free to have intellectual curiosity about the racial divide, there is much to gain by taking the risk. However, attention must be given first to provide a safe and sacred environment for words of lived experience to flow. As a Black woman, I know the risk is great. I understand not wanting to experience one more microagression or an even greater wounding. For people of the dominant group, there is the risk of changing a commonly held opinion or per...
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