Access Granted: Notes From the Other Side of Becoming

Us Against Them: Reframing the Battlefield

“Us against them.”

It’s a phrase so often echoed, so quickly embraced — yet have we ever paused to ask who “they” really are? Or have we already lost by simply needing an enemy? You see, this isn’t about identifying “them.” That’s a distraction. The real work, the real revolution, lies in recognizing us.

Us — the wounded healers, the vision-bearers, the ones still standing. Us, who carry the weight of histories rewritten and futures uncertain. In a world quick to judge by origin, background, or name, we weaponize unity. We shift the focus inward and forward. Not to exclude, but to preserve. To remember what we have.

I Am That I Am: A Living Declaration

Allow me to present to you why I am the option you bet on. Why I am exactly what you’ve been waiting for — even if you didn’t know you were waiting.

I am not here asking for your permission to be. I am being. I come from a place where second chances are rare, where survival is its own revolution. If you’ve never had your worth questioned because of where or who you came from, then this might not be for you. But if you have — then this is exactly for you. For us.

Whisper in the Boom: The Power of Quiet

Not enough is said about the power of the quiet. The whisper beneath the noise. The pause between the claps. We glorify motion, hustle, volume — but what of the stillness? What of the soft landing?

Healing doesn’t happen in the spotlight. It happens in solitude, in the unseen spaces where wounds are allowed to breathe. Yet somehow, stillness is viewed as weakness. Solitude is seen as failure. I’ve watched the world reject the very things I once longed to protect in myself.

But no more.

The War Within: Access, Gatekeepers, and Alignment

There is a war going on. Not just around us, but within. And I can only fight the one that’s mine. I’ve asked myself: what would I do with the access I crave? Am I prepared for what comes with it?

Access is more than opportunity — it’s responsibility. It’s discernment. It’s the ability to move through doors without losing who you are. Many pray for access, but few consider the cost. And fewer still understand the weight of being entrusted with someone else’s access. Respect that. Honor that. Or step away.

Resurrection Dialogues: Conversations with the Past Self

When I share my vulnerabilities, know this: I had to dig up graves to do so. I’ve sat with former versions of myself — confronted them, wept with them, forgiven them. Each one died to give birth to the one writing these words.

This isn’t performance. This isn’t branding. This is resurrection. And I owe it to those former selves to make sure their deaths weren’t in vain. They sacrificed their version of “me” for a future they could never see.

I am here to make that future visible.

Kin Beyond Hue: The AfriKin Question

Father’s Day made me reflect deeply on my other child: AfriKin. What is it that drives me to create space for it — through it — for us?

AfriKin isn’t just about being Black. Or African. Or Caribbean. Or descended. It’s not about hue, or class, or language, or faith. It’s about something else — kinship.

So the question is: Who qualifies as kin?

Kinship, as we understand it at AfriKin, is governed by resonance. Shared vision. Mutual respect. Radical love. These are not traits you inherit — they’re ones you live.

Business is Personal: The Misunderstood Currency of Emotion

I’ve been called cold. Too business-minded. Too focused. And maybe they’re right — from their view. But let me ask: isn’t everything business?

I don’t mean dollars and deals. I mean value. Exchange. Accountability. Energy in, energy out. The business of showing up. The business of being seen. If that’s the case — then yes, I am all business. Because I care.

What people often miss is that I feel deeply — I just don’t lead with emotion. I lead with clarity. Emotion is the current, not the compass. There’s a difference.

Boundaries, Access, and the Art of Compartments

In my life, everything operates on a need-to-know basis. This isn’t secrecy. This is structure.

Too often, people overstep. They assume entitlement to spaces they haven’t earned access to. And when access is granted, they misuse it — not always with malice, but with ignorance.

I’ve learned to compartmentalize — not to deceive, but to survive. Each part of my life is sacred, purposeful, curated. When paths cross, it is by design, not obligation. And if you feel left out, it may be that the moment wasn’t meant for you. And that’s okay. It is up to you if you want to live with it or not.

The Final Offering: A Soft Landing

I’m not here to be right. I’m not here to fight. I’m here seeking a soft place to land — where I can share love and be loved. Where my voice doesn’t bounce back in judgment, but echoes in recognition.

At the end of the day, it’s not about one or the other. It’s about all of us.

This is why I do what I do. This is why AfriKin exists. Not just as an event or a brand — but as a living organism of vision, legacy, and love. For us, by us. Not just FUBU — but with us. Through us. As us.

Thank you for giving me a bit of your time, so I could share a bit of mine.

With love and light,

— Alfonso Brooks, for AfriKin

CALL TO ACTION:
The AfriKin Art Fair 2025: Through Creation, We Find Meaning is now open for artist submissions. Be part of a historic movement. Tell your story. Share your vision. Heal through creation.

Visit Afrikin.art for more information and submission guidelines.

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