We Have Nothing To Lose

part one of two. read part two here.

Author’s Note: I struggle with many of the current political terms for various communities, as many are defined against the idea of whiteness, or through colonial rule, or for political expedience, or in contrast, rather than connection to each other. I continue to struggle to find terms that honor the history, complexity, and humanity of our human sisterhood and brotherhood better than People of Color, for example, or Black and Brown people, or LatinX, or Native American. I continue my pursuit to learn and grow and discern the path to language and identifiers that empower and draw together, while also respecting the leadership and autonomy of those communities. Though I will make reference to, in particular, the Black and Indigenous communities specifically at times, I will here primarily use the term Sunkissed, and ask that it be read — in part one and part two of this piece — to include all communities marginalized through the act of being racialized.

Rising in the minds of marginalized communities that are fighting for our lives and liberation is the conviction that it is time to slip the noose of white allegiance and focus on solidifying our connections to each other. Efforts to work with the white left have thus far been as fruitful as the efforts to protect the West African black rhino or the Baiji dolphin from extinction. History…