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Kina Reed
@divestingfromwhiteness

24,702 followers

First things first, I want folks to know what side of the proverbial streets I am on when it comes to grits. #teamsugargrits Secondly, I want to highlight some relatively new “old” information I’ve learned from the extraordinary @desireebstephens. Not too long ago she and I were chatting about our shared love for the color, and she told me the cultural significance of the color. Apparently folks can thank the African Diaspora for yet another thing! Haint blue is a collection of pale shades of blue-green traditionally thought of as a popular Lowcountry color. The word haint is an alternative spelling of haunt, which was historically used in African-American vernacular to refer to a ghost. Anthropologists, historians, and folklorists highlight the significance of the color in Gullah Geechee culture. Haint blue was first derived from crushed indigo plants when indigo was a common crop cultivated by enslaved Africans. Later their descendants would utilize the color to combat “haints” and “boo hags.” The Gullah have continued the tradition of painting doorways, ceilings, and other thruways with the vibrant color as protection and a means to provide community care. An extension of this tradition even includes hanging blue glass bottles in trees to trap evil spirits. On my continued journey to divest from Whiteness, I make intentional decisions to always question origin stories. This includes responding to the purposeful erasure of land mass known as Africa. It is only when we are able to collectively situate the continent and her peoples back into significance we will truly be able to manifest the shared humanity we all so desperately need. If you learned something new please consider joining my Patreon community and check out my YouTube. Links in the bio. You can also send currencies (lol) using: Venmo: Kinam1 Cash App: reedk1 PayPal: JRConsultingLA, or buy me a book at: www.buymeacoffee.com/joquina. #divestfromwhiteness #stopbeingantiblack #decolonizeyourlife #exploremore #payblackwomen