Before Merriam Webster defines “humanity” as the “state of being human,” they prioritize it being a disposition of compassion, sympathy, or generous behavior. It goes without saying that there is a dearth of humanity swelling in the Capital this season, which is why our immersive experience on February 23, at Notes for Humanity (NTH) is right on time. NTH is a free, family-friendly event featuring our program, “Cycling Through Sevens: Joy, Grief, and Movement,” this Sunday. We designed dialogue and dance immersion to help normalize conversations around grief, balance its internalization and expression, and celebrate the renewal that death brings about in its various forms. After I facilitate storytelling and participatory share-out, acclaimed Reverend Nafisa Sharriff will usher us into meditation and a special West African rhythm and dance traditionally performed to revere life’s cyclical nature.
We are grateful to Life Calling for welcoming us into their weeklong kickoff of this global archive: a call to action to amass ten thousand notes containing individual hand-written reflections on preserving our humanity in this Digital Age. Our two-hour workshop explores the symbiotic nature of joy and grief, which cannot be digitized—only felt. These complex emotions are often synonymous when a smile creeps up while remembering a loved one whose absence is immutable. I felt this ebb and flow upon learning of Kiah Duggins, one of the sixty-seven lives lost on January 29 in that tragic plane crash over Washington, D.C.. She was not only a civil rights powerhouse, ushering in young Black attorneys as an educator, but also a fellow first-generation American with roots in St. Kitts & Nevis: a bright light emanating from the smallest independent nation in the West that was suddenly snuffed out. My heart smiled and cracked at the same moment.
D.C. was where this young Black woman would start her professorship at Howard University, dedicating her life to equalizing humanity, having already completed her J.D. at Harvard Law. Upon taking a job in D.C. after completing my own graduate studies, I had become so disenchanted with homo sapiens once George Zimmerman’s acquittal sunk in, that I had actually turned to the animal kingdom for inspiration. I kept a copy of Unlikely Friendships on my work desk to remind me of how organisms forge friendships across species every doggone day. Even while I stretched to find hope that our singular species could affably co-exist, that role exposed me to the breadth of media’s power to calibrate humanity by furnishing strategic, shared visual experiences. Yet, in every interview and at every precipice in her life, Kiah was unwaveringly driven by the potential of people. I could feel in my core the impact this young woman would have had on the human race. May she rest in peace.
So while many of us are reeling from the onslaught of news emanating from the Capital, there is something to be said about the transformative energy and new life springing from its (seeming) deaths. Whether it be Washingtonian, Elizabeth Catlett’s revolutionary art exhibit touring throughout the year, Issa Rae cancelling her sold-out Kennedy Center event to disavow any connection with its new politicized board, or last week’s rally to protect the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from being gutted, folks are still centering humanity in dynamic ways. As we continue to collectively mourn pandemic, political, and personal losses, these Black women’s humaneness is undeniable in their formidable stances on the right side of history.
Joy and grief are not mutually exclusive. The beauty of this truth becomes clearer as I continue expanding my toolkit for storytelling that heals across mediums and genres. I am energized to revisit “old hat” (more specifically my Stetson) and reach into my Park Ranger bag to impart some oral history at 50 9th Avenue’s bare bones space in the Meatpacking District. Furthermore, I am honored to partner with Nafisa for this groundbreaking event as part of a pantheon of Black women who continue leading the charge to edify humanity despite infamously being coined “the most disrespected [human] in America.” We are navigating a time where all humanity is being called into question. Making room to move through it and tell its story of complexity is how we will not only survive, but also thrive…together.
