By: Makeda Marshall-NeSmith
Some thoughts during this time…
Today marks the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year—the moment when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, casting its fullest light upon the earth. For many cultures across the African continent and diaspora, the solstice was not merely an astronomical event—it was a spiritual portal, a time of alignment with divine rhythms, ancestral wisdom, and the natural abundance that follows when we live in right relation with land, spirit, and each other.
And yet, today, under this radiant sun, so many of us are hurting.
We are living through a time that feels both ancient and urgent:
Wars unfolding before our eyes, genocides streamed in high definition, injustice left unchecked while those in power move as if nothing is broken.
We are holding grief that doesn’t belong to us alone, but that we feel deeply because of our humanity—and for many of us, because of our ancestral memory. We feel the echoes of past struggles vibrating through our bones, the weight of injustice sitting heavy on our hearts. And we are asking ourselves, again:
What can one person possibly do in the face of so much suffering?
From Helplessness to Honesty
To feel helpless is not a sign of weakness.
It is a symptom of consciousness.
To witness harm and feel it in your body is a form of truth-telling. It means your spirit has not been numbed into submission. It means you are still rooted in love.
But helplessness left unspoken can harden into despair.
That is why the solstice matters.
This solar gateway reminds us that we are light-bearers. Not just metaphorically, but quite literally. The sun gives life—and we, children of the sun, carry that light forward. We do not need to deny the pain or bypass the reality of what we see. But we must allow the pain to move us toward love, not away from it.
The Solstice is an Invitation
The solstice is not asking you to ignore the world—it is asking you to recommit to the one you want to build.
This day, drenched in golden fire, is a portal to possibility—a time to clarify:
- Who am I becoming?
- What do I truly want out of life?
- What must I stop shrinking to fit into?
- What kind of world do I want to midwife into existence?
In the face of overwhelming violence, the solstice whispers:
Grow anyway. Shine anyway. Love anyway.
Rooting in Love to Undermine Oppression
Oppression thrives when we are disconnected—from ourselves, from the land, from one another. But love reconnects. Love regenerates. Love heals.
To root in love is to say:
- I will not let this world make me hard.
- I will not let fear swallow my future.
- I will gather with those who care, and build with them.
Let your love be strategic. Let your grief be fuel. Let your tenderness be a revolutionary act.
Finding Courage in Community
No one heals alone.
No one dreams alone.
No one survives alone.
So on this solstice, reach toward the people who remind you of your light. Share space. Cry if you need to. Laugh if you can. Make art. Hold ritual. Let joy and mourning exist in the same breath.
This is how our ancestors survived.
This is how we keep going.
Closing Blessing
May this solstice remind you that you are not powerless.
You are part of a long line of people who turned pain into power, fear into fire, sorrow into song.
You are a seed and a sunbeam.
You are not alone. And the world needs your light.
Wishing you divine feminine anger rooted in love.
xo
Sankofa Community Welness 