Dancing Without an Invitation: Embracing Resilience in a World of Exclusion.

Dancing Without an Invitation: Embracing Resilience in a World of Exclusion.

(ThyBlackMan.com) At some point in life, most of us will learn and conclude life isn’t always fair. You can be attractive, charitable, eloquent, friendly, qualified, and operate with integrity in all your dealings without being invited to dance. Class and charisma won’t secure you an invitation to participate in the dance that comes with life if others have already determined who they want on their guest list. Sometimes, guest lists are developed not just to exclude individuals and groups of individuals. They are designed to control guests’ behavior, beats, rhythm, and movement. As you may know, we all don’t hear or respond to the musical beat that comes with life the same way. Not everyone will be accepted into the in-crowd due to being marginalized and the dominant group’s unwillingness to recognize others’ humanity.

Many Americans from all backgrounds and ethnicities have envied some Black Americans and many individuals who suffered from mental health challenges throughout the years for their candid ability to have a rhythm, hear a beat and a different sound, and produce at a level that others could not replicate despite the many obstacles and challenges they may face daily. History has shown that Black Americans and many individuals with mental health challenges have thrived by taking broken and obscure pieces and things to go onto to produce thoughts, objects, inventions, organizations, and systems that are still thriving and being used worldwide even today.

Recently, President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance reminded Black Americans and many individuals who suffer from mental health challenges that our invitation to the dance they will be hosting for the next four years has been lost in the mail or that we are not invited in the first place. However, acquitted Marine Veteran Daniel Petty and many other individuals who may operate similarly have been invited to their party. President-elect Donald Trump and Vice-president-elect JD Vance hosted newly acquired Marine Veteran Daniel Petty in their suite to watch the Army vs. Navy college football game. Daniel Petty, a Marine veteran, had been charged in the death of street entertainer Jordan Neely, who was unhoused, with a challenging past, and suffered from mental health challenges.

Jordan Neely’s chance encounter with Marine Veteran Daniel Petty in the New York subway led to his demise. It is safe to assume that Daniel Petty learned to make educated and complex assessments for various situations as a Marine veteran. What happens when educated assessments collide with personal and cultural bias in American society? For centuries, it has led to the exclusion, execution, and extinction of individuals and marginalized groups. Our presidential elect, Donald Trump, and our vice president, JD Vance, also know how to make decisive assessments that continue to show personal and cultural basis towards many marginalized groups and selected individuals.

Finish story here; Dancing Without an Invitation: Embracing Resilience in a World of Exclusion.