Velvet Ink

“Other people have their histories written in velvet ink my people have their history written in tears and because tears have no color our history is invisible and lost to the world.”

- Karim Wafa Al-Hussaini

Black people are the center of every conversation about freedom.

We are at the center of the fight and struggle.

And the struggle is real.

The commercialization and commodification of black bodies have been the backbone of this country since its inception.

Black trauma has significantly impacted the lives of black people and the black community. It has contributed significantly to the development of mental and emotional health issues such as depression, anxiety, fear, shame, humiliation, PTSD, and guilt.

Black people have suffered their whole lives not being seen, heard, or understood.

Our rights have been stripped and trampled on and our existence unprotected.

Black people have had to bear the burden of being held hostage in the face of tyranny.

But black people are resilient.

Because we are here.

We have strength in our skin.

Our souls have made a home in the soil of this world.

And our skin is the source and proof of our greatness, not shame.

We are brown sugar and honey

We are love made manifest in the world.

We are the hope of the future and the reflection of the past.

We are the velvet ink with which the story will be written.