What is success?

Being an immigrant living in the U.S, I am forced to grapple with the reality that it  maintains its global power through violence and domination in developing countries; the same countries we emigrate from. So how can citizenship truly be the ultimate goal when Black Americans are treated like second class citizens at home, and overseas it means the exploitation of my own people? 

     Ultimately, I realized that liberation for me goes way beyond citizenship. Now more than ever, I yearn for my childhood centered in collectivism, and a communal sense of care. Despite my low income status growing up, I was genuinely content with my daily existence, and was emotionally abundant in ways I could not fully understand.  I yearn for the ability to knock on my neighbor’s door and ask for a cup of sugar without worry that they will ostracize me. Or the ease of accessing my extended family because we all live in the same household! Ironically, the life I left behind is the kind of life I am currently chasing. For my inner child, that is definitely a full circle actualization. 

     My new dream is for Black liberation because it means freedom for everyone from the current oppressive structures that uphold inequity in our society. We all participate in anti-Black violence whether interpersonally or systemically. Therefore, it is our individual and collective responsibility to decolonize our social indoctrination, and actively resist exploiting the power we have over other marginalized groups. My question for you is this: is your definition of freedom exploitative or liberating? Does it uplift just you or everyone around you? Together, we can dismantle oppressive systems and create alternatives. Together, we can address anti-Blackness head on.