Moving To The Beat Of Their Own Drum: Black (Subculture) Lives Matter
There is nothing out of reach to challenge stereotypes and celebrate the non-traditional areas that blacks have led for decades.
If you know where to look for it, you will find it in all areas of life.
However, black counterculture and subcultures are often hidden in plain sight and not always in the attention of the mainstream media.
But by celebrating all that is black, diversity within a culture brings more unity to the movement, and also conveys a very important message that not all blacks are alike or different.
quote"I'm not going to lie - I thought I was crazy, so to speak," she said. "I was widely accepted. [People] adopted me very quickly," says social media influencer Ashanti (Om Shanti) Barber.
From Afrofuturism - a movement that has elements of futuristic style or science fiction and rejects elements of black history and culture (like Black Panther or Janelle Monáe) to unconventional spirituality - there's nothing new here. Honoring the unconventional spaces that blacks have led for decades.
Collecting black counterculture, author and musician DeForrest Brown Jr. It sheds light on the history and analysis of techno (and related electronic music such as House and Electro) by delving into the origins of techno music in Detroit and elsewhere. ) and explains how the genre has evolved over time with a black American musical sensibility.
Brown describes the book as a return to the Detroit art scene in the 1980s to explore the unique history of the genre from a black theoretical perspective, connecting the dots between the black electronic music movements and anticipating the situation created by the American mainstream.
Decades later, here and now, many declare that even the Black Lives Matter movement is a counter-cultural movement in certain sectors of society, according to national reports.
In their book The Black Future, authors Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham make it clear that blacks are not just one person, but an uncountable experience on the page. "What does it mean to live black now?" They wanted to know.
“We have tried to understand our unique paradox: We are never empowered, but in many ways we are still as naked as before,” he said in his book. "Darkness has no bounds—no book can attempt to reconcile masses and masses...We are in a continuum of those who went before and those who followed."
The book celebrates the achievements of blacks today and in the past.
“This is not a novel, this is not a scholarly journal, this book is a series of reference points for current and future generations curious to know what our generation is up to in an age of social, economic and environmental revolution,” the authors point out.
Ashanti (Om Shanti), a 31-year-old Detroit-based social media influencer, barber, told the Michigan Chronicle that she has her own way of making her way in the fashion world. Influencer on TikTok and Instagram. According to the press release, she teaches her followers the history and meaning of various spiritual practices that go back to ancient African faith and religion. Surprisingly, many people received the messages. "It took him a while to say, 'This is who I am and this is what I do,'" Barber added. Little did I know there was a thirst for true knowledge.
With nearly 85,000 followers on TikTok and over 28,000 followers on Instagram, Barber continues to have a presence on social media, as her followers search for reliable advice in an increasingly popular space.
"I'm not going to lie - I thought I was crazy, so to speak," she said. “I was widely accepted. [People] accepted me very quickly.
Britney Hodges, 28, of Royal Oak, attended various high schools in Troy and marched to the beat of her drums. . circuits in which it is held.
"Many cultures go to this school," she said, adding that she hangs around her teammates and is always "fascinated by others."
"I never wanted to be in a group... I just enjoyed with each group," she said, adding that she has been interested in anime and music as well as Japanese culture since childhood.
I took Japanese language lessons for two years in high school and focused mostly on Asian culture, which I found fascinating in terms of fashion, language...etc. Asian food, African food and other products. "My dad was such a big part of us because we were open to different cultures that way."
Hodges, who runs bridal makeup company Beautifully Flawed (hodgesxbrittani), said she hopes to one day travel to Japan and experience the culture in a more interesting way. It encourages others to explore life to the fullest and celebrate their uniqueness and darkness.
"Just have the confidence to do what your heart tells you to do," she said. "It's okay to find out, take risks, explore... We each have our own way of discovering who we are and it looks different for everyone."
This post originally appeared in the Michigan Chronicle.
