by Written by Terry Allen
Lucille “Baby, when the Lord delivers you, He don’t leave no evidence on your face,” Big Mama Allen would say, lifting her chin and smoothing her apron. Grace under fire was something she believed in. No matter the storm, you show up looking like victory, not like the valley. “You don’t look like what you’ve been through,” she added with a wink.
And believe me, I have direct knowledge of that fact.
I’ve been fighting cancer for the past seven months, and I’ve been winning. radiation. Methods. Silent prayers and restless nights. I did, however, turn up. And I came out. I fulfilled my commitments to myself as well as to the work in every task, meeting, and mission I was entrusted to oversee. I resisted letting my suffering overpower my mission.
Our members are deeply rooted in the same spirit. In order to hide their suffering, our forefathers had to endure the Middle Passage, cotton fields, chains, and Jim Crow laws. They wore optimism. Faith was worn by them. They were armored in dignity. With their pure intent and crisp collars, they marched into hatred. Even if they altered the universe, they still didn’t appear to have gone through what they had.
Today, that heritage endures.
Simone Biles defies stigma by proudly and transparently embracing her pain. She is a live example of how brilliance and healing can coexist. And my buddy, the late BeBe Moore Campbell, who was actually one of the first to support Black people, particularly Black men, in identifying and confronting their mental health issues, was also my sister in the fight. She worked as a journalist for Black Enterprise, Essence, Ebony, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times Magazine, and The Washington Post. Her modest bravery in inviting us to be whole, healed, and heard, however, was her most audible act.
This is your call to action: Let’s establish authentic spaces for healing, truth, and repair. Our men are worthy of recovery. Rest is what our women deserve. Peace is what our young people deserve. Mental wellness is not a luxury it s a necessity.
You shouldn’t be embarrassed by your scars, but you also shouldn’t be scared to treat them. Smile and respond, “I don’t look like what I’ve been through,” when they inquire how you’re still standing. After that, go aid in the healing of another person.
as we are the evidence. The invocation. The strength.
We continue to rise.
Terry Allen is a journalist who has won a NABJ award, a DEI specialist, a public relations specialist, and the founder of the charity. He is also the vice president of FocusPR, the founder of City Men Cook, and the president of the Dallas chapter of NBPRS.org.
