Dumbo Feather – July 2019

Anditmayevenhavebeenmymum,who’smyfirstreallove,saying,“Whathasthatgotto

dowithyou?”Partofthethingsometimeswhenweareinvitedtobelongis,“Thosepeople

don’tbelong.”SotheotherstoryI tellisaboutJamesBaldwinwhenhewasattheheightof

hisliterarycareer,hewasinvitedtojointhisliterarycircle.Whichhewantedtodo.Butthen

theysaid,“Don’tbringriffraffwithyou.”Whichwouldhavemeantblackpeople.“Don’trub

itinourfacethatyou’regay.”Sohedidn’tjoin.Anditwasverypainful.Andhewrotea book

insteadcalled,“ThePriceoftheTicket.”So

InmanywaysI wouldsaythat’snotbelonging.Right?That’sinclusion.Becauseyou’re

beinginvitedinonmytermsratherthan,“Let’scometogetherandnegotiatetheconditions

ofbelonging.”I thinkoneofthechallengesis,canwecreatethespacewhereeverybody

belongs,canwecreatethisnarrativewhereeverybodybelongs?Andit’snotjusta narrative

asyouknow,innaturewhenyousawanotherhumanbeingyouwouldrecognisethemas

a fellowspeciesmember.Andsowenowknownowthatwhensomeonedoesn’tbelongin

a deepway,thatpartofthebraindoesnotlightup.Sothey’reliterallypeoplewhowe,on

anunconsciouslevel,don’tseeashuman.I’vebeensayingyoucan’thavehumanepolicies

forpeoplethatyoudon’tseeashuman.Andinfactwhena partofthebraindoeslightup,

it’sdisgust.Andundercertainconditionsyoungblackmendon’tregisterashumaninthe

Americanpsyche.Homelesspeopledon’tregisterashuman.I’lltellyouonemorestory.

I livedinSanFranciscoformanyyearsandthere’sa bunchofhomelesspeoplelivingacross

thestreetina park.AndI gottoknowthem,includingthisonewoman,I’lljustcallherSally.

Shewasextremelyoverweightandsmellyandallthat.I’dgiveherfiveor 10 dollars.And

wheneverI’dseeherI’doftentimessay,“Sodoyouneedanythingtoday?”Andshesaid,

“Ohyeah,I needlunchmoney”or,“Ineedthisorthat.”SoI sawheronedayandsaid,“Hey

Sally,doyouneedanythingtoday?”Andshelookeddown,sortofembarrassedandshe

said,“ahug.”AndI hesitated.“Can’tI justgiveyoumoney?”Youknow.ButI didhugher.

Andthenafterthatwehugged.Andmyfriendsstartteasingme.It’slike,“john’sgirlfriend’s

homeless!”Andmyfriendsarethesegoodliberalpeople.Buttheydidn’trealisehowthey

werecontinuingtootherher.She’shomelesssoshe’sina categorythatshedoesn’tbelong.

AndthefactthatI extendedmyselftoherinsomewayscreatedanasterisk.I waslike,

“Canwejustshakehands?’Causeyoujusthuggedthathomelesswoman.”SoI thinkthat

oftentimeswe’reinvitedtobelongtosomethingandwhenwegetthere,it’snotfull.But

oftentimesalsowe’reinvitedtobelongtosomething,butpartofthebelongingisknocking

yourideasintoa fullerunderstandingofwhatitmeanstobehuman.

sometimes we’re invited to join something but

we’re told in order to do that, we have to give up

an essential part of who we are.

[Sighs]. Right!

110

JOHN A. POWELL

DUMBO FEATHER