Black people deserve to embrace joy because this past year has been so hard | Hill
The murder of George Floyd was a breaking point for many Black Americans. But finding joy through things like meditation can help us cope and heal.
LeBron Hill- A year after Floyd's death, meditation helped me, and this idea was reinforced by musician Valerie June.
- LeBron Hill is an opinion columnist for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and the curator of the Black Tennessee Voices newsletter.
Over the past few months, I’ve journeyed through the halls of the National Museum of African American Music.
Among the beautiful and powerful features at the museum is a quote on a wall by musician Eileen Southern, which I’ve found most telling about the Black culture:
“The enduring feature of Black music is neither protest nor self-expression; it is communication, and one cannot imagine a time when Black musicians will have nothing to say, either to others or to God.”
In over a year, that communication has been rage.
A vindicating rage that grew with each report of a shooting or incident involving a Black body, such as the murder of George Floyd. Eight minutes and 46 seconds (which we later learned was 9 minutes and 29 seconds) might be how the rest of the country defined last summer, but for millions of Black Americans, it was defined by the calls they made to loved ones to make sure they were OK.
It was defined by the tears developed after seeing footage of another violation of a Black American. It was also defined by the frustration felt trying to relay the message to those who don’t understand what it's like to fill in the shoes of Black people.
Sign up for Black Tennessee Voices: Read compelling columns by Black writers from across Tennessee.
Joy is hard but not impossible
The rage grew. From it, a movement was cultivated and pushed millions of Americans to seek out racial justice in their lives. Companies started to see the importance of Black businesses and promoted them.
Progress was made. Some progress, but progress.
While that rage is still important, we must be realistic about the toll it has on our bodies.
We’ve hurt and used it to communicate the injustices in our society.
But to move forward, we must start letting joy in our lives.
More:I was only 2 on 9/11, but here is how I learned to appreciate this traumatic day | Opinion
Joy is hard but not impossible
We as a Black community have hurt and loss tenfold just in the past year alone.
I believe that’s why joy is so hard for us to grasp. The wounds haven’t even begun to heal.
And honestly, it’s a journey I just started this past summer.
Hear more Tennessee Voices:Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought provoking columns.
How I learned to find joy through meditation
I took a big step in joining the NashvillePOC Sangha meditation group in June – a year since I saw the video of George Floyd being murdered.
I remember being nervous when we started to meditate, thinking there was an expectation, but I received understanding and patience. The instructor whispered to the group during the session, “You’re here. You did the heavy lifting.” And I let out this deep breath of self-validation.
My journey of mindfulness didn’t stop there
In one of my visits to the NMAAM, I had the privilege of attending a TED Talk that featured country artist Valerie June. During the speech, June spoke about getting past the trauma faced last year and how to focus on Black joy.
During a conversation I had with her, June spoke about the importance of mindfulness on the journey to finding Black joy. She talked about her experience teaching and meditating with students of Grounded Memphis, an organization created by local artists to capture the power of art to inspire healing.
“The whole purpose of our practice and trying to bring mindfulness into the school and Memphis was the heavy gun violence and the violence the students see every day.”
When George Floyd’s murder took place, June was still working with Grounded, a time she remembers was difficult.
“(Floyd’s death) was so painful for me and the teenagers but also for our nation,” June said. “Watching (the video of Floyd's murder) every day just made me dive deeper into my practice of sharing meditation and mindfulness with my fans on my socials.”
June, who has been practicing meditation for 15 years, at first felt she would rather keep her practice personal, but she soon realized the importance meditation would have in our country.
“When I saw what was happening around the world and in our nation, I was like, ‘Ya know mindfulness and meditation and us tapping into our inner light is gonna be a real new way to approach what we’re looking at every day'.”
Sign up for Latino Tennessee Voices: Read compelling stories for and with the Latino community in Tennessee.
Valerie June's 'Astral Plane' is an anthem for mindfulness
After seeing June’s at the Ted Talk, I dived into her work, starting with her latest album, “The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers,” and hit single “Astral Plane.” From listening to her music, I found myself going into a headspace that fueled a moment of mindfulness.
I was able to rewire my mind, setting aside the pain, guilt and anguish from last year and grabbing hold of what June called inner light.
Mindfulness, in my perspective, is being attentive to yourself. In the past year, the Black community has paid attention to needs of others in their community without question, often ignoring their emotional needs.
In mindfulness, we have an opportunity to remember the good in our lives and tune out the bad that inherently comes to our mind. It’s certainly not a cure to the chaos in our society but it helps take care of our minds – one of the most important parts of our body.
In the beginning of June’s single “Astral Plane,” she sings: “Is there a light you have inside you ...?”
We all have a light, sparked the day our first breaths were felt on our mothers' faces. And in our lives, we have unfortunately allowed that light to dim.
The events of last year were a dark shadow that covered our light, and we’ve carried it through this year.
There’s never an easy way to start this journey of mindfulness, but you owe it to your life and your light to start.
LeBron Hill is an opinion columnist for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and the curator of the Black Tennessee Voices newsletter. Feel free to contact him at LHill@gannett.com or 615-829-2384. Find him on Twitter at @hill_bron or Instagram at @antioniohill12.