Well, well well. Where can I start? It was in March when Tobi first asked me to contribute to her iconic weekly newsletter. I was honoured because Black Ballad has been an incredible platform amplifying our voices and stories so we feel seen and heard. I fell sick with coronavirus and was hospitalised for five days shortly after we had decided on my theme. Fast forward to now (June), so much has happened since. But before I share with you what I have learned over the last few months, I want to address something serious. 

This coronavirus pandemic has thrown everything we’ve known and loved into disarray and it’s jarring. Not only as a community have we had to grapple with the fact that our people are dying at four times the rate of everybody else, but we’ve also had to deal with the news of multiple police brutality murders and incidents over in the States, as well as the tragic loss of Belly Mujinga here in the UK. As a community we’ve suffered a lot of trauma throughout our lives. So I’d like us to take this opportunity during this new slower way of life to practice self care and find something close to us that sparks joy.