Urban Thought Collective

I am the oldest of five. I have four brothers, and I love them so much. Words won’t ever be able to embody the power and intensity of what I feel for each of them. I am blessed to have all of them still walking this earth. Thank you, God!

So, let me state that my intention is to always be love, be light, peace and courage. I especially mean it now.

I think Sean Bell is a powerful spirit.

When I put aside the anger, the confusion and the fear surrounding his tragic death, and take a few steps back, I believe Sean Bell is a leader in his own right.

In the past, leaders made sacrifices to benefit the whole. They sacrificed autonomy, sleep, peace, (they used to sacrifice money), and safety. But Sean made the ultimate sacrifice – his life.

Sounds like Jesus, right? Exactly.

I believe Jesus was a walking example of who we are and what we are capable of doing on this earth. The same presence and power that dwelled in Jesus, dwells in me and you, and was also present in Sean Bell.

I think we get caught up in what society tells us constitutes a leader. “You gotta have an organization.” “You gotta have a bunch of people following you.” “You gotta know big words.” “You gotta have money.” “You gotta be co-signed by the other leaders.”

Jesus didn’t have any of that, yet He is one of the greatest leaders that ever walked the earth.

What He did have was awareness. That’s what we are all looking for. It’s just masked as the quest for purpose, happiness, success and prosperity. It’s all the same thing, and comes from the same Source.

Does this mean Sean Bell was aware of his fate? Well, in a way.

I believe his spirit, not the human, knew its fate. The spirit is never separated from God, and God knows all. I believe Sean Bell’s spirit chose its destiny so that we all can benefit from a progression that is taking place among humanity. I hope that we don’t get caught up in the death and miss out on its contribution to evolving each of us in our lives right now.

How many people would have protested against police brutality, or even participated in the march had Sean Bell not been so brutally murdered? What about the uproar over Genarlow Wilson or Jena 6?

Although people felt hopeless and angry and had no answers, they were provoked to do something – even if that meant walking the streets with a bunch of strangers who felt the same way.

We’re human and we get mighty complacent, especially when we aren’t motivated to move. Hardships and tragedies move us. It moves us to change jobs, to move to other cities, to work harder, to leave unhealthy relationships, to change our lives. This can become the catalyst to change the world.

It doesn’t mean you have to cut your perm out and wear natural hair, or get laser surgery to remove your tattoos, so you can start or join an organization and become an “activist.”

Just act where you are now.

Sean Bell was a loving son, friend, mate and father. Yet, right where he was in life, he became a “leader” who is leading people to advocate against police brutality.

Maybe police brutality isn’t your thing. What is? How can you move on it now?

You have a passion for something, something that others can benefit from, something you want to see flourish. It just takes your voice, and more importantly, your awareness of who you are. You matter. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here.

Whatever it is you are thirsting for; there is already the awareness that there is more to life and to you than what you are experiencing now. We see it in the life and death of Sean Bell. Can you see it in yourself?

Don’t shrug off your significance to this world. You matter. I keep saying it because I had to say it to myself for months before I actually believed it.

Black folks don’t know they matter in this world. They don’t know that if they had not been born, the world wouldn’t be the same. We know that from a collective standpoint, but we can’t see our individual value.

Don’t get caught up in fixing the problem. Get swept away in the passion of creating a world where that problem doesn’t exist. There is a difference.

One is entrenched in madness, where the problem never goes away. It swallows you whole, and before you know it, your work keeps it alive. The other starts with a space where the problem doesn’t even exist. It could be your home. And by having friends over, they are attracted to that same tranquil existence.

After all, your home is your sanctuary. You become the teacher, the example and those who observe you learn how to create the same space. Suddenly, that new world in your home has expanded outside of your space and into the world.

I’m dreaming of that new world getting bigger and bigger with each one of us understanding our value.

Rather than saying “rest in peace,” I wish Sean Bell much love and light as he embarks on his new journey.

Envisioning you with much love, light and fulfillment. See you next week.

Yaminah Ahmad is editor-in-chief of The Atlanta Voice and contributing editor to Collective Voices, a newspaper published by the non-profit, SisterSong: Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective. She can be reached at missyaminah@gmail.com.