Take a moment to reflect on the sacredness of being. The Love That Makes Us Care So Much Don’t mistake my silence for indifference. I’m trying to make sense of the senseless, Trying to figure out where my voice fits Amidst the cries of rage, of mourning, of intellectual reason, And demands for #somethingdifferent. It feels, sometimes, like we are suspended by a thread, A fragile cord that wants to connect us To the earth To each other To our selves. What is the fear that frays these fibers? Where is the love that will mend them? Not the superficial love of a pebble Skimming along the surface of a pond, Hoping to make it to the other side without sinking. But the love that penetrates To ask challenging questions and listen To answers we may not want to hear. The love that embraces complexity, And moves us through fear to reach for an intimacy That may not feel comfortable at first. The love that makes us care so much That we won’t keep silent anymore. This week, I am sharing a video created by The T.R.U.T.H. Project in Houston, Texas in 2018. The video below features Brittany Jones performing a solo modern dance set to music and poetry by Robert Glasper, a Houston-based modern jazz artist. The movement and poetry honor the lives of those slain by police brutality and racism.
The T.R.U.T.H. Project educates and mobilizes LGBTQ communities of color and their allies through social arts that promote mental, emotional, and sexual health. I had the opportunity to collaborate with The T.R.U.T.H. Project several years ago through my public health work on Achieving Together: A Community Plan to End the HIV Epidemic in Texas. The experience of working with Founder and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Anderson and the artists involved in the collaboration inspired me to contribute to their work for the past three years.
Join me in supporting The T.R.U.T.H. Project’s work of “healing through the arts” by visiting their website and making a donation. Visit the exhibit curated by Kevin Anderson, “And Through Their Eyes Grow Thorns: An Exploration of Storytelling Through the Art & Eye of Queer Artists of Color” at Winston Contemporary Art (both virtual and social distance). More info here.