Tiffany R. Smith

“Sometimes you got to hurt something to help something. Sometimes you have to plow under one thing in order for something else to grow.” - Ernest Gaines

Sometimes that something is ourselves. 

Movement for Black Lives Convening

“Heartbeat of the Movement” 

Movement for Black Lives Convening

Sage

 The Latin for sage, ‘Salvia,’ stems from the word ‘to heal

When burned,sage gives wisdom, clarity and increasing spiritual awareness. 

Movement for Black Lives Convening 

June 24-26, 2015 | Cleveland, Ohio 

Over the weekend I attended the Black Lives Matter Convening in Cleveland and the conference was amazing. The conference was filled with laughs, tears, anger, and turn up. From my perspective I did not see a single white person in the convening.  There was a fluidity and openness to the space that could not of happened if other people of color or white people were in the space.  Rather than being critical, I want to give space to uplift every person who helped organize the convening. Almost one year ago Mike Brown died and we proclaimed #BlackLivesMatter. Since then we have organized, agitated, and kept police violence and brutality on the front pages in national and international news. We have sparked a global movement where Dominicans, Kenyans, Black Italians, Haitians, and Jamaicans are all yelling Black Lives Matter.  The pain and power I experienced amongst Black people with 222 different ways to fight this battle against anti-blackness and white supremacy is nuanced. Have we figured out what Black Lives Matter really is? means? Where we have progressed and won? How can we improve as a movement?

In some ways, yes.  But the most profound way we fight + win is to simply;

The Black Freedom Bike Tour

Atlanta, GA to the Combahee River | July 1-6, 2015

In a 6 day trek, 9 Black women + 1 Black woman Bike Tour Manager took on the challenge to bike 300+ sweltering miles through the deep South. All to honor resilient and tenacious attitude of, our ancestor, Araminta Ross or Harriet Tubman as you may know her. 

These 10 women created community by camping, cooking, and cleaning together as one unite during this strenuous adventure. Through physical anguish and mental struggle, these women survived on laughter and the power of knowing that their ancestors protected them every peddle of the way. 

The cyclists started this Black Freedom ride in the historic West End neighborhood of Atlanta which is home to Spelman College, Morehouse College and Clark- Atlanta University. The riders had a moment of meditation and prayer at the Combahee River, home of the raid led by Tubman that freed over 700 slaves. While at the river the cyclists were prayed for by members of the Oyotunji African Village. The women then shared food with the Gullah people of the low country in South Carolina. The celebration ended at Hunting Beach State Park, which was also home four rice plantations that African descendants labored during slavery. 

Can you imagine the courage it took these women to put their phyiscal and emotional safety at risk during such a dangerous and violent time for black lives in this country for the sake of something so inherent as freedom? 

For more information visit: http://www.blackfeministfuture.org/about-1/

"People Watching"

Sneaker Shop

Dam Square 

Red light and canals

Amsterdam Centraal + Afros

My hood 

Selfies + shoes 

Cincinnati, Ohio >Toronto, Canada > Zurich, Switzerland > Amsterdam, Netherlands