(photo credit: UNCTAD)
I went to Whole Foods yesterday, here in Atlanta, and saw the option to pay for my food with my hand. I thought to myself, "wow, people have already embedded themself with microchips?" Not necessarily, the scanner was the perfect size for a right hand; and since I'd been paying with the chip in my credit card for years, I understood exactly how to use the terminal. There was no learning curve or extra instruction needed. And apparently, no need for microchips either. At that moment- I thought about the book of Revelations and the Mark of the Beast. (I wrote an entire song about this on my Attention All A&R's EP produced by my guy Mike Sampson- that's a deep dive tho, I was still sourcing my christian rap- secular sound era.) I also did NOT pay with my palm. lol.
As I thought about the end of days, I realized that between the prophecies of Nostradamus, the book of Revelations and even the most arbitrary spiritual/common sense prediction- not only are we past the "end of days", but we are in a time where the world (as we know it) has ended at least 3 times over since I've been alive. It is my belief that the world ends often to reset itself, reset us (the people here) or to do both. This week has been a moment of resetting.
My instagram has been quiet- but the voices in my head (and in my heart) have been raging. Everytime I try to write something, nothing comes out. I've texted my Arab friends (and family), I've texted my Jewish friends- all people whom I love dearly. There are others that I have not reached out to, because I don't have the words. But it is my duty as an artist to reflect the times (word to my fairy gawdess mutha in my head - Nina).
So, if you've been feeling like me- not knowing what do or say regarding what is happening in Palestine, regarding what has happened to the mothers, the families and the civilians of Israel and Gaza; then I'm here to let you know that I don't have any solutions in this diary.
As a queer black woman, I know better than to speak definitively on something that I cannot comprehend- nor can I pretend to understand. I refuse to "all lives matter" this ordeal with a blanket statement of peace and nonspecific prayers; I refuse to blindly side with Black Christians, who often forget that it wasn't too long ago when their "white Jesus rhetoric" proclaimed that "slaves must obey their masters"; and I refuse to scream a blanket statement such as "I stand with Palestine" (although I do) without saying that I also stand with all oppressed people; and that "I stand against all forms of white supremacy, patriarchy, apartheid, genocide, ethnic cleansing, racism, fascism and anti-Semitism."
So, what am I doing now?
I start with empathy and compassion. Regardless of your religion, ethnicity, heritage or race- there are certain truths that we all live by as the human race. Children, the elderly, innocent civilians and those unable to defend themselves should never come in harm's way due to government action. (Also, you cannot have a "war" when one side has endless military resources and the other side literally has nothing.)
Some folks that I follow have said:
I then move to research- reading and educating myself. These are a few folks that I've been following and a few suggested reads/views for the week.
Lastly, I take to action- donating, amplifying and empowering the voices that need to be heard. I plan to donate to these organizations:
Medical Aid for Palestine
The World Food Programme
(source @so.informed)
(I've heard people ask, how do you donate to families who've lost loved ones in Israel- well, as Americans, we already are. Not only are our tax dollars supporting Israel, but we are also funding the genocide of innocent children- which, needless to say, I do not support the later. If the military was actually targeting another military force, that would be one thing- but bombing a neighborhood or the evacuation path that you advised people to use is unfair.)
I love each and every one of you. I hope that my words are always received that way. And if I mislisted or misnamed/misexplained something- you all know that you can always just respond to this thread and it comes directly to my email. I'm not perfect and I don't always get it right- but if I mess up, please charge it to my head and not my heart.
Thank you to the day ones and I truly believe that we will get through this together - it won't be easy, and it won't be pretty ( I don't believe in false positivity). This sh!t is going to hurt like hell once it hits the fan.
But know that this is the moment we've been preparing for- the war is here and it's not between Israel and Hamas; it's not between Jews and Muslims; nor Christians and Atheists- it's between humanity and tradition...it's between progress and pride...it's between systems of power + oppression and the people. Each of us must decide if we are for humanity or something else, are we carriers/practitioners of love or hate...it's more of a spiritual war than a physical one for most of us.
L is for Love,
<3 Fay
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