Honoring Every Dimension: Caring for Ourselves While Caring for Community

“Your multifaceted nature is a superpower in the fight for justice. Let every room feel the magic of your multiple dimensions. Every one of your intersections deserves space in the realm of liberation.” - Soniyah Robinson

The Sugar Shack by Ernie Barnes

Viewing the painting The Sugar Shack by Ernie Barnes for the first time was like stepping into a striking, colorful scene of culture and community. I recall being younger and seeing the iconic flowing bodies as the cover art for Marvin Gaye’s 1976 album I Want You. It felt as though this vibrant, multifaceted painting illustrated the beauty and complexities of the Black experience. The dynamic, twisting, and gliding figures sparked thoughts of stepping into community cookouts, soul train lines, jazz clubs, and juke joints. The feeling of moving naturally and unapologetically, while each facet of who you are coexists.  

I have been reflecting on this piece a lot lately, as for me it speaks to the feeling of being absorbed in community love, while bringing our full selves to the work. This can lead to a beautiful blend of tribe and self. But it can also feel like an uncomfortable tension for those fighting for justice externally, transforming internally, and trying to honor their various intersections all at once.

Barnes’ work illustrates intertwined figures that I find parallel how each of our identities is interconnected in the fight for justice. Our experiences are shaped by these layers of identity and impact how we move through the world. Like the dancers in The Sugar Shack, we are swirling through these complex systems together, carrying our various intersected identities. Although it is crucial that we are aware of the political and economic structures that shape our experiences, this awakening can coexist with joy. The depictions in The Sugar Shack can be seen as a symbol of collective liberation, resilience, and bliss, despite systemic challenges. The eyes of each figure in the painting are closed, trusting the movement, as we must trust ourselves. But we must see each other first. Holistically and intentionally. Our joys and our transformations.

But how do our joys and transformations interact with our struggles for social justice? How do we care for ourselves when so many others cannot? How do we uplift personal peace when the world around us is not peaceful?

Fighting for justice with ferocity and passion doesn’t have to equate to neglecting ourselves. Prioritizing our personal care doesn’t have to signify forgetting our people. Caring for our community is an extension of caring for ourselves.

Audre Lorde said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."

And this act is crucial for understanding each other more deeply and showing up for each other more honestly. But it isn’t always simple. The tattered, bending floor depicted in The Sugar Shack can be interpreted as the impact of the heaviness of this act of political warfare. Like the spine of a rich book that bends and cracks from continuous discovery of its contents, we must continue to explore our personal journeys to liberation, even as those journeys transform us.

Your care, joy, heaviness, health, and intersectionality all belong in the movement. The revolution needs every dimension, facet, and ability. We are stronger with every act of personal exploration, because knowing ourselves helps us know each other. It helps us become more understanding, make fewer assumptions, and be better equipped to advocate authentically.

Assata Shakur said, “Revolution is love.” Extend that love to yourself.

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