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By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH

Special to the AmNews

In this postmodern global era, there is still so much to be said, discussed and unpacked on the topic of anti-Blackness and trauma. We find ourselves in a time where many, particularly white people and colonialized cultures, do not fully acknowledge that the root of oppression and design of many countries is based in anti-Blackness, violence towards Black people and the attempt to erase any morsel of brilliance, invention and intelligence from African-descended people. It is important for all to explore the reality and continued racist structural core of our globalized existence as we move through life. It is even more important that Black people are educating ourselves on these topics in order to be aware, knowledgeable and able to understand our history so that we may heal and move forward by breaking down the inner walls and barriers that keep us from living healthy, informed lives.

There are two books that can guide any reader who seeks to know more about Black oppression and how to heal Black minds and bodies from centuries of generational torment and erasure.

The New York Times bestselling book “My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies” by Resmaa Menakem spent 27 weeks on the bestseller’s list due to the incredible insight and depth into the physical and emotional harm discrimination causes to the Black body. The publisher describes the book by stating “The consequences of racism can be found in our bodies––in skin and sinew, in bone and blood. In this ground-breaking, inspiring work, therapist Resmaa Menakem examines the damage, the physical consequences of discrimination, from the perspective of body-centered psychology. He argues that until we learn to heal and overcome the generational anguish of white supremacy, we will all continue to bear its scars.” This book is a helpful guide for those who want to heal and rejuvenate after being born into a world that was not built for the Black body to succeed, thrive or feel comfort.

“Anti-Blackness” by editors MoonKie Jung and João H. Costa Vargas explores the international and historical presence of anti-Blackness throughout diverse cultures. The book “investigates the ways in which the dehumanization of Black people has been foundational to the establishment of modernity. Drawing on Black feminism, Afropessimism, and critical race theory, the book’s contributors trace forms of anti-Blackness across time and space, from nineteenthcentury slavery to the categorization of Latinx in the 2020 census, from South Africa and Palestine to the Chickasaw homelands, from the White House to convict lease camps, prisons, and schools.” This book is an important tool that will allow readers to articulate the travesties done to Black people all over the world and combat the narrative that race has nothing to do with how our world has been structured. Anti-Blackness is a thread that can be followed throughout global colonization and can be found even before the world was overtaken by Europe. Knowledge is power and this book will certainly educate anyone who is interested in portions of history that are often untold in the media and in educational institutions.

You can order a copy of “AntiBlackness” from www.dukeupress. edu and “My Grandmother’s Hands” from wherever books are sold.

Hundreds celebrate at 5th Sugar Hill Music Fest

Harlem’s rich musical and spoken word history was honored and celebrated by the heritage-preservation organization, While We Are Still Here (www.whilewearestillhere.org), at its 5th Sugar Hill Music Festival which recently took place on the Sugar Hill Luminaries Lawn at 155th Street and Edgecombe Avenue, Harlem, NY.

Karen D. Taylor, founder and executive director of While We Are Still Here, organized this year’s festival to pay tribute to two local artists who achieved national and global fame––the Mizell Brothers, who lived at 555 Edgecombe Avenue, during their youth, and Gil Scott-Heron, who was also a resident of 555 Edgecombe Avenue.

The Sugar Hill Music Festival featured performances by:

Burnt Sugar in a tribute to the Mizell Brothers, pioneering musicians who helped produce the signature sound of greats like Marvin Gaye. Burnt Sugar “honors its deepest inspirations, the first post-modernists of American music – Duke Ellington, Sun Ra, Parliament Funkadelic and The Art Ensemble of Chicago.” er, and recording artist who became a global voice for justice. Award-winning vocalist, arranger, educator, and composer Charenée Wade has excited audiences all over the world with her ingenuity and vibrancy. Her latest CD, offering: “The Music of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson,” is a powerful reinterpretation of the poet’s musical library.

The Sugar Hill Quartet, led by saxophonist, Patience Higgins, the Sugar Hill Quartet carries on the tradition of the high-energy, musical excellence that Harlem is known for. The Quartet was well known for many years as the house band at St. Nick’s Pub. banks studied with the legendary Dr. Billy Taylor at Temple University, then headed to New York to become a hotly sought-after horn player.

Mistress of ceremonies was radio host and producer Joyce Jones.

“Reading Across Harlem” featured an interview with legendary poet Abiodun Oyewole, founding member of The Last Poets and self-described “author, musician, mentor, father, lifelong learner.” Oyewole, author of “Branches of the Tree of Life: The Collected Poems of Abiodun Oyewole, 1969-2013,” was interviewed by African American studies professor Hank Williams whose dissertation is a profile of the early years of The Last Poets. Dozens of fans lined up to buy Oyewole’s book, courtesy of 2 Leaf Press, and get an autograph and a photo.

While We Are Still Here is dedicated to gathering and sharing the vast history of Harlem. It has been in the forefront of spearheading high-quality programming in the arts and humanities throughout the community and appreciates the generous support of the J. Rosamond Johnson Foundation and Mélanie Edwards, without whom this event would not have been possible.