afropunk bk: we are royalty

PHOTOGRAPHS BY INSTAGRAM FOR AFROPUNK

“Your crown has already been bought and paid for. All you have to do is put it on.” — James Baldwin

It’s been a trying time to be Black on this Earth. Of course, this is nothing new. As Africans who move through this world (or were removed from our homeland), we have a resilience that is unparalleled, unyielding, and undeniable. Our ancestors were Kings and Queens from The Motherland and that is our inheritance. We are royalty because it is in our blood. When we are dismissed, discredited, and disillusioned, we must remember from whence we came, who we are, and whose we are. We have survived the atrocity of slavery, the terrorism of lynchings, the violence of police brutality, the ravages of environmental racism, and all of the other anti-Blackness systems that white supremacy has birthed simply because our Blackness is so damn powerful. As the decade winds down, it is important for us to remember we are part of a larger Pan African community of Black royals. Walk with your head held high. Be filled with grace, courage, and strength because we are descendants of greatness from the African Diaspora. Crowned. Royal.

These images were taken at AFROPUNK Brooklyn as part of the Instagram Share Black Stories activation. 

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly