Black pride is more than skin colour – Jamaican author

SOPHIA GREENE, who engages in a regular nine-to-five with the New York City Transit Authority, said there is no escaping her true passion, which is penning poems and pushing the self-awareness and acceptance agenda.

Greene is a published author who does storytelling and poetry, all of which, she said, is based on real-life scenarios.

For her, the celebration the Black History Month should not be the only thing that powers her people to observe their worth or acknowledge the strength and power that lie within them.

However, she still gives credit to the month-long observations. “Black History is of great importance to me, because it is the core of who we are as a people and we need to use the compass of our history, so that we don’t lose our value and our culture. It is vital that we never dilute the sacrifices made by our ancestors and the risks they took to leave us with the liberties we are able to enjoy today,” she shared.

Greene also criticised her countrymen’s eagerness to embrace foreign policies and culture while neglecting their own roots and heritage. The danger, she shared, is that slowly the country’s foundation will be left behind and persons losing their identities.

KEEPING HISTORY PRESENT

As a poet and writer, she said it is important to incorporate Black History in her work to keep history present.

Not one who is easily irked, Greene said it is hard not to be annoyed when she comes across persons with ignorant thinking that make-up, toning cream or wearing hair extensions take away from their soulful essence of embracing their black culture.

“One of the things that annoy me is being ignorant in thinking because someone embraces toning or wear extension or make-up, they are not aware of their history.” Black History, she said, is soul depth, mental depth, and the awareness, she points out, is deeper than the physical. For her, it is a spiritual dance that spins through the vein and sings through the blood of our history.

“We need to walk as a tribe and realise we are stronger together and we all are connected, as knowing your history defines your walk,” she observes.

On the other hand, she points out that ignoring your history causes you to walk with a blindfold. Being black, she shared, comes with a responsibility to your ancestors.

Greene, who was born in Kingston and is a past student of Gaynstead High and Durham Business College, says she counts herself privileged to experience and be living in two of the most beautiful countries in the world – Jamaica and the United States of America.