Simply put, black love is like Duke Ellington and John Coltrane’s “In a Sentimental Mood.” It is a melody that can soothe the soul like a saxophone soothes the ear and delicately plunges into the mind like Ellington delicately plunged his fingers into that piano. Black love is sweeter than an ice cream sundae on a Sunday, with the temperature being 76 degrees with a slight breeze. Black love, whether it is a romance or just love shared for another family member, is not only beautiful, but also enduring.
Think about how many single mothers have dedicated their lives for their children. She works multiple jobs to put food on the table and clothes on the backs of loved ones. Think about how many good black fathers have given guidance to their sons and have been great providers and protectors of their daughters. Think about the nurturing grandmother, who some may affectionately call “Big Mama,” or the wisdom of a grandfather, when he draws an adage from the well of love. Think about the wife who is there to tirelessly support and nurture her husband. Think about the husband who is able to constantly sweep his wife off of her feet.
Black love should be celebrated more often, but more importantly lived out more often. The only reason blacks are still in a position we cannot completely be proud of is because today, black love is a rare practice. It is the remedy to many of our woes and when anything is the remedy for a sickness, it needs to be cherished and its existence is important.
It is time for people to recognize that black love is illuminating like the moon is in a dark sky and also runs deep like the ocean.
Those who were thrown into the Atlantic hundreds of years ago are testaments of black love. Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Medgar Evers taking a bullet are testaments of black love. Harriet Tubman creating the Underground Railroad and Ida B. Wells speaking out against lynching are testaments of black love. Let us cure ourselves, and let black love dwell in our systems.
Rudy Jean Bart is a sophomore public relations student from Miami. Contact him at tapoet43@yahoo.com