Yearly, thousands and thousands pause to mirror on the resurrection of Jesus, a narrative about life overcoming demise, objective overcoming persecution, and reality outlasting empire. But when that story means something for Black folks on this second, it should name us to one thing greater than ritual. It should name us to resurrection in our personal lives—particularly, a resurrection of dignity.
Dignity is neither ornamental nor one thing you choose up when handy and discard when it prices an excessive amount of. Dignity is foundational. It’s the bedrock upon which a folks construct identification, objective, and a future price having.
From a religious standpoint, dignity flows from a easy however revolutionary reality: We have been created by God, and created with objective. Meaning our price isn’t negotiable. It isn’t decided by financial institution accounts, job titles, levels, or how typically we’re pseudo-accepted into areas the place others actually don’t even need us round. Our price is inherent, divine, and constructed into our very being.
Not recognizing the worth and energy of your dignity, and our collective dignity as a folks, or willingly giving it away, is a cultural, emotional, mental, and religious give up of the best order.
Our divine proper to be
When a folks actually perceive their dignity, they stroll in a different way, speak in a different way, and transfer in a different way. They refuse to beg for what’s already theirs by divine proper. They don’t scratch the place it doesn’t itch or snigger when it’s not humorous.
Dignity tells you that you just belong wherever your ft land. Not as a result of somebody granted you entry, however as a result of your existence itself is sanctioned by one thing increased than any establishment, coverage, or prejudice. To query that proper—to internalize the concept you need to earn your humanity—is to simply accept a lie that’s been weaponized towards Blackfolk for hundreds of years.
Dignity means that you can stand tall in hostile environments with out shrinking. It offers you the readability to both remodel these areas along with your presence or depart them behind with out apology. It’s an affront to the God in us for anybody to dare query whether or not or not we’ve got a proper to be in “this” college, “this” neighborhood, “this” buying middle, “this” superior program, “this” nation, and so forth. Our dignity, our inherent price and worth give us the divine proper to be wherever the hell “we be at.”
Dignity means that you can stroll along with your again straight and your head held excessive. It’s the quiet, unshakable power behind resilience, grit, and that unmistakable vitality that claims, in no unsure phrases, no a part of me is on the market!
With out dignity, hope collapses. And with out hope, we should still have breath in our our bodies, however we’re decreased to the strolling lifeless.
When dignity is sacrificed
So, this Easter, whereas people are busy celebrating the resurrection of that revolutionary brother we name Jesus, we must always make investments some vitality in witnessing one other resurrection—a resurrection of dignity in Black folks. Far too typically, we promote our dignity for pennies on the greenback or we simply give it away, not realizing its worth.
After we see younger Blackfolk on the Houston Livestock Present and Rodeo appearing such a idiot that the entire thing is shut down, that’s giving our dignity away. However don’t get it twisted. This isn’t only a youth challenge.
When brothers use each excuse within the e-book for why they voted for a White Home candidate who welcomes white nationalists, Nazis, and the Klan, as a substitute of supporting a sister (Kamala Harris), that’s Black dignity being auctioned off. It’s additionally misogyny; brothers treating Black ladies the way in which racists deal with Black folks. Make that make sense.
What’s loopy is, whereas many white MAGA members are leaping ship, Black MAGA members are using that jock even more durable. And for what? As Matthew 16:26 says, “For what shall it revenue an individual to win the entire world, but lose their very own soul? Blackfolk who sacrifice their dignity lose their soul, and haven’t gained a rattling factor, a lot much less “the entire world.”
Dignity’s advantages
Historical past affords us a unique blueprint. Malcolm X by no means negotiated his dignity. Ella Baker didn’t dilute hers for consolation. Kwame Ture, Assata Shakur, Paul Robeson, Steve Biko—none of them constructed their legacies on compromise with their very own humanity. They understood that dignity isn’t just private, it’s collective. When one stands agency, it strengthens your complete folks.
And numerous others—mother and father, grandparents, lecturers, cafeteria employees, neighborhood shadetree mechanics—carried themselves with such dignity that they expanded what was potential for the subsequent era.
Dignity fueled our resistance for generations. Dignity penned the phrases of the poem “If We Should Die.” Dignity had Garvey proclaiming, “Up ye mighty race, accomplish what you’ll.” Dignity impressed Robert Flack and Donnie Hathaway to sing “Be Actual Black For Me; James Brown to shout “Say it loud, I’m Black and I’m proud,” Nina Simone and others to carry out “To Be Younger, Gifted, and Black.”
Dignity simply hits completely different. Dignity means that you can faucet into the very best, most genuine a part of your being. Dignity allowed our ancestors to construct pyramids, survive the Center Passage, after which construct nations regardless of 400 years of affirmative motion for many who sought to interrupt them.
Every day resurrection
If dignity might be crucified, it may also be resurrected. This Easter, the decision isn’t merely to rejoice what occurred two thousand years in the past. It’s to reclaim what’s been misplaced in our personal time. To refuse to commerce dignity for applause, for entry, for proximity to energy that doesn’t respect us. To reject the cheapening of Black life—whether or not it comes from exterior forces or from inside our personal communities.
A resurrection of dignity means selecting self-respect over spectacle, and aligning our politics, conduct, and relationships with the reality of who we’re. It means recognizing that if we’re keen to sacrifice our dignity, we’re in the end keen to sacrifice all the things.
However the inverse can be true: when dignity leads, all the things else—hope, braveness, creativity, future—can observe. Resurrection, then, isn’t confined to Easter Sunday. It’s a each day determination. And it’s lengthy overdue.
