Formed By Fire

Happy Black History Month ! This month we will celebrate the manifold contributions of Black folks and culture in the United States of America. Coinciding with the commencement of this month long celebration was a sizable winter storm in the Northeast corridor of the country. In light of being snowed in with my enthusiastic family , I turned to our streaming provider for some rest and relaxation . While I was searching for shows and movies I discovered the competitive series “ Blown Away”. The show features a competition between emerging glass artists. The artists are tasked with creating masterful blown glass designs in a short period of time. The show is truly intriguing!

There are many elements of the show that serve as inspiration for my work as a writer , educator and entrepreneur. One aspect is the role that fire plays in the entire glass design process. Fire is used to mold the original frame of the design , correct defects in the design and refine the final product. You may be wondering , how does this relate to Black History Month and your life ? I am glad you asked such an important question. Black history and culture has been made possible through the various experiences and contributions of Black folks. Those experiences have often been framed by environments and situations that were trying and painful. Despite going through what James Weldon Johnson describes as “ stony roads” , Black folks have withstood the fires of injustice , limitations and racism and produced masterful monuments of art , courage and hope. Like the Black folks of yesterday we all have the opportunity to use every challenging force and scolding fire to enhance who we are and push us closer to our purpose.