From Trending to Learning
Do y'all ever jump on a trend not really knowing how it originated? Well, I don’t know about you, but I am sure that I have. With that being said, there is one that is happening now that for some reason moved me in a way the other trends did not, and it wasn’t only because of the beat drop, it was because of the words:
“Even if you are not ready for the day, it cannot always be night.”
These words spoke to my spirit, and ignited something within. I really could not figure out why, so naturally being the curious and inquisitive person that I am, I had to look into it. And here’s what I found.
The actual quote holds a deeper meaning than the trend of changing clothes might suggest. It’s actually from the poem “Speech to the Young: Speech to the Progress-Toward (Among them Nora and Henry III) written by Pulitzer Prize Poet Gwendolyn Brooks.
It is no wonder that even when heard out of context, the words still have a deeper meaning, and by default means that Kanye’s song and Donda’s recitation of Brooks’ poem also have a deeper meaning. Again, I went on a hunt to better understand why.
Now before I go any further, I want to first say this, as a 47 year old mother of two young children, 11 and 4, and as a full-time teacher, I struggle when it comes to keeping up with the latest music and happenings in the world of art, but I will say that thanks to TikTok and Instagram, I am able to not only gain new perspectives, and maintain some level of relevance, I also get to become a learner again, and I love it when something piques my interest in such a way that my knowledge grows. And with this quote trending on both platforms, I needed to know the why behind it for two reasons: 1. I wanted to join in on the trend, and 2. I needed to know how to properly caption my interpretation of the trend so that the one I chose properly relayed or conveyed the message that went with my brand: My Life, Revised, and so as I have already mentioned, my inquiring mind did what it does best, led me to search for the answer, and I am glad that I did.
“Praise God”, a track from Kanye’s recent album entitled Donda after his mother, begins with a recording of the keynote address Donda delivered at the 17th Gwendolyn Brooks’ Conference in Chicago in 2007, and as powerful as this phrase is alone, it’s even more profound when read in the entirety of the poem.
“Speech to the Young: Speech to the Progress-Toward (Among them Nora and Henry III)”
Say to them,
say to the down-keepers,
the sun-slappers,
the self-soilers,
the harmony-hushers,
"Even if you are not ready for day
it cannot always be night."
You will be right.
For that is the hard home-run.
Live not for battles won.
Live not for the-end-of-the-song.
Live in the along.
And all at once, as if it was meant to be, I knew the meaning of the phrase: “Even if you are not ready for the day”, meaning that even if now is not your time, if your dreams have not yet manifested or come to life, “It will not always be night”, which tells us to get ready, for our time is coming, but until it arrives, we need to keep on living because as we live our lives in what seems like night, we are ultimately ready-ing and preparing ourselves for the day when our time comes.
How powerful is that? These words, while trending for a different reason right now, hold so much more meaning, and I thank you Kanye for bringing them to the attention of so many impressionable minds at a time such as this. Which is exactly the purpose of his song “Praise God”. Praise God in the along:
“We gon’ praise our way out the grave, dawg
Living, speaking, praise God
Walking out the graveyard back to life (hey)
I serve, follow your worth, see with new sight, into the night (hey). ”
It’s a song of hope, renewal, and Re-Vison: seeing with new sight, and I love it! Kanye, if this post ever gets to you, please know that you are a force to be reckoned with, and I hope that you will continue to use your experiences and your art to transform the lives of others and help us all “get right”.
Check me out on Instagram to see my video for this trend. It holds meaning for me now and hopefully it will for you too.
With creativity and inspiration,
