Have A Seat
“Fall in your ways, so you can wake up and RISE.”
The table always carried my burdens.
It was the first place where I laid everything down to rest.
It was the first open platform where my projects were created.
My mom taught me how to write my name at the table.
Whenever my family and I want to enjoy moments together or celebrate something grand together, we celebrate them by having a seat at the table.
This project is one to celebrate and praise from Miss Solange Knowles
“All my niggas in the whole word…
This shit is for US.”
Crafted and created transparently and carefully.
Directed towards us, but mostly an inner monologue to self we just happened to have the pleasure of having a seat to listen in on just this once.
Raw, emotion.
Pure life.
This project was released at a time where I was feeling lost about self and really needed a reminder that I am the S H I T. Then F.U.B.U. blasts through my loudspeakers and screams out the importance of self love over bass and snaps. What a woman.
Count it all joy.
You’ve got to let it all go.
Why you always gotta be so mad?
How many times have we heard that question and never felt we could answer it?
In the work place especially?
When the burdens of being black fall heavily on your shoulders and people around you don’t even realize it.
Miss Knowles in her best fashion expressed that we have a lot to be mad about,
And it’s okay.
It’s not okay that people don’t understand who you are,
And it’s not your job to always have to spell it out for them.
Especially when we are not one size fits all, Black.
Here comes that famous line –
“don’t touch my hair.”
But why does it sound even better being cooed out over instruments and strutted about on a mountaintop?
I earned this,
I wore it best.
I handle it with care.
I treat it,
Color it, snip it,
Protect it
It’s the work of an artist,
And I’m sensitive about my shhhhhh.
You know I have the world to think
And you know I gotta go ahead and take some time
Time – I’m the first to say I never have it.
I’m known to be in multiple places at once,
As a saving grace for many people and many projects.
I’ve been known to run through a lot in my head at once
Self care is not one of them.
It’s something I thought about more and more these days.
Really taking time out for myself to love myself wholeheartedly.
I have the world to think – I gotta go ahead and take some time
For peace of mind and ease.
But it won’t be a breeze.
I tried to drink it away
I tried to put one in the air
I tried to dance it away
I tried to change it with my hair
How many of you have been there?
Thinking that the problem is YOU?
My life story is “Cranes in the Sky.”
Heavy laden burdens brought to God’s feet
But stubborn melodies I tried to change myself because I felt weak
That was me.
It amazes me how effortlessly she can say those words and it resonate.
That’s what this whole project has done.
It’s a saving grace.
A story you always wanted to tell, but didn’t exactly know the right words to say.
It’s bold, makes you laugh, dance
But it also makes you cry and pick yourself back up to dance and laugh again.
“A Seat at the Table” was memories and current life situations played out through my speakers.
It is open and welcoming to US created by a woman of color celebrating US and loving all of US.
Khadijah Dennis Founder, The Conqueror Movement
A one woman army with the ultimate desire to educate the masses through media and self love.