What Black Grandmothers Taught Us
“I am the product of centuries of women who have learned to tend to their own backs, with their own oil hands and their own split black knuckles in their own yellow palms…I am from the blood of women whose eyes are always kind even after witnessing their homes break into a bloody war dance, a Home attempting time and time again to swallow them whole. I was grown out of the bones of women who birth armies from blood, and plucked love straight from the hand of God. Who was more resilient than us, flowers that grow straight from the mouth of the devil." — Key Ballah
Dear Sisters,
Who is more resilient than us?
As coronavirus spreads across the nation and world, and anxiety and fear rise, I am here today with a message sent straight from the ancestors. Do not fear. You were built for this.
These are trying times, yes. But 400 years of waging war against a system that was designed to break us, has prepared Black women to not just weather the storms of today, but to be the leaders, and the beacons of light, that the world desperately needs right now.
Events across the globe are being cancelled.
The 24 hour news cycle is getting scarier by the minute.
People are rushing to the store for supplies.
Hand sanitizer is sold out everywhere you go.
And yet, here we are. The #daughtersof women who wouldn’t even let us enter the kitchen, let alone open the fridge, without washing our hands. 565,000 women in the GirlTrek movement and each and every one of y’all got a gallon of bleach and a cabinet full of isopropyl alcohol that you’ve been hoarding for at least 10 years. Who knew that the common-sense, sage advice, and regular ritual of Black grandmas everywhere would become the number one weapon in a war against a pandemic that has sent the world into panic.
Who knew? We knew.
GirlTrek is inspired by Black women throughout history who left us a blueprint for survival. Our mamas braided battle plans into our bantu knots and passed down #survivalsecrets that have kept us alive in the face of real danger for centuries. We are leaning into that knowledge now to make adjustments to our 2020 season in light of the coronavirus threat and we are recommending the following to all of our trekkers and organizers.
Prioritize Solo Trekking. This is the perfect time to get back to the basics, which means your personal commitment to yourself. Our call to action has always been to lace up your sneakers and walk outside of your front door. Now is the perfect time to recommit to this. You don’t need a team. You don’t need to drive to group walks. Go alone — Harriet style. [Fun challenges + inspiration to keep you motivated coming April 1st!]
Organize your trusted tribe. If you are planning group walks, we encourage you to walk with your trusted tribe in small groups and to postpone any large group season openers planned for March or early April.
Be a Sister’s Keeper. If you are not feeling well, please stay home and get rest. Do not attend GirlTrek walks or events.
Stay Tuned. In the coming weeks we will be releasing our full 2020 Trek Season calendar. We have proactively made the decision to cancel some of the national events from that calendar in light of coronavirus. This includes Summer of Selma, which we had planned to open registration for next month. Don’t worry! 2020 is the year of a million Black women walking and we will have PLENTY of amazing programming coming your way. This will include our annual Labor Day gathering in Colorado which is currently scheduled to go on as planned. Go to StressProtest.com to reserve your spot.
For further guidelines and tips on staying safe we recommend you visit the CDC website.
As for us, we are going to let the medical professionals and scientist do their thing while we continue with faithfulness the work we set out to do, because this is our year. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. One million Black women will take to the streets to reclaim our health, inspire our babies and take back the streets of our neighborhoods. It’s already been written. Already been spoken into existence. Morgan’s mama has already applied the prayer oil and I can guarantee you it’s stronger than Clorox. We are covered in the blood. The Orishas are holding us in a high place. Victory is ours.
Not by might.
Not by power.
With love,
Vanessa (and Morgan)