In Pursuit of Shalom

Decide not to be reduced. . . Mother Maya penned these words that serve as a battle cry of resistance. They act as a mantra for a people who refuse to be reduced by the reality of being black in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Since we arrived on these shores the demand on our bodies has been taxing. For decades we have paid the black tax to occupy the green space we call home. Too many others to name have paid the tax. . . Some in blood, some in tears, all in toil. The land of the free and the home of…