"Otherness"

Beyonce represents so much in terms of beauty, praise, work ethic, body image and praise. Splitting from Destiny’s Child in the nineties to go solo allowed her to soar to great heights. She is a Black woman of Creole descent, with a slim waist, and flowing long weave. For many Black men she represents the prototype of what they would want physically in a woman. Beyonce is portrayed as perfect. She is allowed to sing about being a Single Lady, and a Survivor as well as many other songs that may be perceived as female empowerment, yet is married. In Beyonce’s image you can see the Black woman’s body image issue, the natural hair versus permed versus weaved issue, the light skin versus dark skin issue on top of the independent woman issue. For me she represents so many things that are still causing rifts, debate and esteem issues in the Black community. For so many she is perfection.

For me, the Jewish community represents the Other. They have their own everything. I remember doing a paper in a multicultural business class analyzing why Jewish people faired better economically and socially after being pushed out of their home countries and into the United States than Black people did post-slavery. I found the assignment difficult, and I was almost offended. Ever since then I have been ultra aware of the Jewish families in Brooklyn. Jewish people have faired better post-oppression. In Crown Heights they have their own police task force, their own museums, their own ambulances, and their small businesses run the gamut. For me they are the other, as I watch them on my train ride to work squeezing in to seats faithfully reading the Torah. I sit and wonder what if we (Black people) could be just as uniform? Is it something I even want to emulate or just observe?



Despite all the recent suicides due to internet bullying, sexting and such, suicide has always been something I have had difficulty grappling with. I do not necessarily put down those who chose to end their lives, nor do I parade it. My otherness with this concept starts simply with the concept of ending a life, let alone my own. On one hand I can thank my inability to grasp the concept to having a decent life, and never being pushed to that limit mentality. But, at my worst I still cannot get a hold on it. It is such a foreign concept to me. When I watch movies or read about true stories I sympathize with those who have reached the end of their rope due to bullying, stress or mental issues. In my own community, mental health is very taboo, and I hope it becomes a bigger discussion, as things have moved online and digitally people’s battles with depression have become way more apparent. I just hope we as a people can learn to have adequate conversations about them.




When I think about Beyonce, I cannot help but think she views life as a simple cause and effect motion. If I work hard, I will get what I want and where I want in life. This is what was taught to the majority of us as children. But despite that, life is simply not that simple. Everyone cannot be anything they wanted to be. It takes a certain level of skill and privilege for ALL of us to simply achieve our goals through hard work. When I look at people like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Kanye West, these people are exceptions and not the rule. Beyonce and Michael Jackson are included. Beyonce just embodies more for me personally in other ways besides her success musically. Her image means so much more, for so many.



When I think of the Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn, I automatically think of uniformity. I think of how the Orthodox Jews come together in Crown Heights. The ways in which they group together to provide an exclusive environment for each other. This picture to me represents how homes formerly owned by African Americans are adapted and changed as they are opened up in neighborhoods that have some Jewish occupants. It represents the transition that can be seen throughout areas of Crown Heights.


When I think of suicide, I think of despair and desolation. For me this is what life would have to represent for me to contemplate taking my own life. The idea of being lonely would have to be so intense that there would be no way out of my cycle of thinking and movement. I could only imagine that each step could go wrong when you are suicidal or depressed. Each and any step could send you over the top.