I find myself offering the Black Power salute of solidarity mentally and physically a lot these days.
I live in Harlem and every other day someone is calling me ‘sister’ or ‘sis.’ I’m referenced in this way by vendors on the street, neighbors in my elevator, people on the subway platform. Are we biologically family? No. Do we share the same color of skin? No. Are we brothers and sisters? Most definitely. And when ‘family’ is being done wrong or lacking in support, I stand in solidarity to give them strength.
From 1848, Honore Daumier’s - The Uprising (L'Emeute) at Phillips Collection Art Gallery Washington DC and a photo from August 2020 on Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem
Solidarity is derived from the Latin word SOLIDUS which means solid or strong. Standing together In solidarity, we are strong. Sturdy. Firm. Undivided.
The raised fist, or the clenched fist, is a symbol of solidarity and support. It is a salute, a gesture that expresses unity, strength, defiance, or resistance. Any time you express support of a group or the people in it, you're showing solidarity with them. In my efforts to support Black lives, I’m standing up with and for my brothers and sisters. I’m taking a stand for their equality, care, and justice.
The 1968 Olympics in Mexico City became the site of one of the most highly publicized (and criticized) uses of the raised fist. Months prior to the event, the United States was reeling from the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the ongoing civil rights turmoil. Dr. Harry Edwards established his own organization, later becoming the Olympic project for Human Rights, whose goal was to protest racial segregation. American track athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, were the first two athletes to join as they viewed the games as a critical platform from which they could speak out about better treatment of black athletes and black people around the world. When Smith and Carlos won gold and bronze respectively in the 200m dash, they raised their fists, protesting racism and injustice on the world stage. “We had to be seen because we couldn’t be heard,” said Smith. “I wanted to do something so powerful that it would reach the ends of the earth, and yet still be nonviolent,” Carlos explained.
My friend Liesl Tommy made history as the first woman of color to be nominated for a Tony for best direction of a play in 2016. As the camera panned to her when they read the nominations, she raised her fist. Black Power, indeed!
I think that’s important to remember. These gestures of solidarity - fists raised, athletes kneeling, crowds of people peacefully marching in the streets for what they believe in - these gestures are powerful and non violent. They are symbols asking for equal treatment. They are gestures asking for the justice system to not abandon someone because of the color of their skin.
There is so much work to be done to fight systemic racism. We are hungry for black men and women to stop dying in the name of broken and corrupt laws. There is a laundry list of actions to take in support of the fight to get this done. But the simplest and most basic thing I can do is tell my black brothers and sisters that they matter. That I see them, I celebrate them, I love them, and that I’m fighting for them. That is solidarity.
For me, this image from @fuzzedupbear remains the most powerful image from the whole movement. Human being.
This past month, I was given the honor of standing in solidarity for a family in my very own Harlem neighborhood with my food! They’d lost their father/husband and I was generously gifted to cook for them as they navigated this transition. Life is precious. Stand for something or someone. Tell your family, biological and otherwise, that they matter.
Solidarity House Seasoning
I created a “House Seasoning” in the spirit of creating a solid balanced blend of flavor to add to my dishes.. When cooking, instead of shaking in a bit of this, sprinkling a pinch of that, rummaging around for my spices looking for that missing element, I decided to make my own seasoning blend to keep on hand right by my stove! Initially I put equal parts of everything - equality for all! Well, spices are not like people - they are not created equally. Some are saltier, spicier, earthier, more tart, more bitter, etc.
The recipe below is just a template. As you think about what and who you stand for in your life, offer up blessings as you create your own Solidarity House Seasoning. You could make a chili blend with cumin, paprika, cayenne, cracked red pepper, smoked sea salt, brown sugar, and ground coffee. You could make a Middle Eastern salt, pepper, zaa’atar and sumac combination. Make your own Italian seasoning blend with garlic powder, dried basil and oregano, cracked red pepper, salt, and pepper. The combinations are endless! As a kid I thought I was the coolest making my own cinnamon and sugar blend for my beloved cinnamon toast.
3 ounces ground black pepper (3/4 cup)
3 ounces ground Himalayan sea salt (3/4 cup)
3 ounces onion powder (3/4 cup)
3 ounces garlic powder (3/4 cup)
3 ounces lemon pepper (3/4 cup)
1 ounce light brown sugar (1/4 cup)
I pour everything into a glass bottle fora little creative project of making temporary Sand Art, (fun to do with kids and adults!) but you can pour the seasonings right into a bowl. Combine the seasonings in a bowl and whisk to incorporate everything together. Take a little taste and see if it needs more of something for your liking. In mine, the lemon pepper and salt were overpowering so I added a little bit more of everything else until I had a perfect blend. Pour some of the finished blend into a smaller container to keep by the stove as you cook.
