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PHOTO:

This photo represents early Black Indigenous tribes that roamed the Americas. For me, as a descendant of Black Natives who were reclassified as Negroes through census records, I find purpose in actively contributing to create talking points for numerous Black American grassroots movements by adding many extra layers of historical context to the complexity of the Black American experience. Through this, I am able to appreciate my African heritage and my pre-Columbus melanated heritage. This photo represents the unheard voices of my relatives on the dawes role who were subjected to blood quantum laws, and segregation within the tribes due to having darker skin, like my 2x great grandfather Wesley Silas.

SONG: SZA Shirts

One of my favorite songs. I’m not a big fan of SZA, I never actively search for her music, but for me and my daughter, we both enjoy this song. SZA has a way of creating melodies that speak to me, and there are a few songs from her that I like. This one is definitely on replay in my car. My 6-year-old daughter and I bond over music. She requests this song anytime she is in my car, and i let her use the voice-command feature in my Tesla, which she always finds pretty neat. 

SONG: Nas- If I Ruled The World

I picked this song because it was off the first album I ever purchased, one of my in-depth introductions to hip hop. The chemistry between Nas and Lauryn Hill was magical. It’s still a song I play today and one that’s on every road trip playlist I create. This was the song that made me look at the lyrical aspect of music. I even printed out the lyrics and studied them. I feel like Nas captured the essence of hip hop, so I appreciate this being my introduction to becoming a fan of lyrics in conjunction with melody and flow.