I have been reflecting lately on an acronym that one of my old therapists introduced me to. The acronym is AFOG and it stands for Another F---ing Opportunity for Growth. I have been embracing AFOG a lot lately. I feel like I got whiplashed from all the “opportunities” I have been given this past month to unpack the many ways that I perpetuate white supremacy. It is so insidious and deeply rooted in my existence that I often can’t even see it or picture another way of being. Each and every AFOG has not only created an opportunity for growth but also has led me one step closer to reclaiming my humanity. I hope that the following resources bring you your own AFOG’s and lead you back to your own humanity.
See you on the journey,
Robin
Michelle Johnson TEDx Talk “There is No Neutral”
I had goosebumps during this entire 16-minute video as Michelle Johnson spoke her truth. I heard it, I understood it and it didn’t feel good. It’s not supposed to! Michelle talks about the ways white supremacy is literally killing her and other people of color. She also talks about how she uses yoga to heal and not hide from it. It made me think about the term spiritual bypassing and how some of us who call ourselves spiritual people think we can “meditate away” racism and inequity without doing any of the actual work. Michelle’s talk painfully and clearly points to the fact that not only have white people appropriated the cultures and practices of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), but we have intentionally stolen and centered those same practices on whiteness, leaving out the very people who created them.