I had my first all-black dream at 24 years old (and why it took so long)

Castries market, St Lucia [www.pionsettaapartments.com]

“Hope is the magic elixir that energizes dreams, fuels possibilities, and lets you live beyond the limits of your historical thinking. It’s an invitation to enjoy the possibility of what you want while you and life negotiate the eventual outcome”

— Michael Neill (best-selling author and transformative coach)

Dreams (and nightmares) often come from the very thoughts that go through our mind when we are awake. They indicate what is ‘on our minds’. This blog post is a story of the depth and importance of the types of dreams we have personally. Before I get into the circumstances behind my first all-black dream…I want to contextualize the narrative.

I am a male of African descent who was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada. My lineage is not the same as people of African descent from larger urban centers like Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. I am an indigenous African Nova Scotian whose great, great grandparents escaped to Canada in the 1800s. I am a member of the little-known black population on the mostly rural east coast of Canada. My family has established black roots in Nova Scotia amongst a majority white, Scottish/English/Irish population. Bagpipes, highland dancing, English pubs and sea shanties are a genuine part of my personal psyche. This knowledge of European culture was deeply interwoven with growing up with civil rights activist parents, who passed on their strong love for blackness and Afrocentricity. My home atmosphere had black books, magazines, artwork and food…while outside my home was a world of 90% white culture. Thus logically, my dreams were also often dominated by white faces.

92 CJCH Halifax AM radio [www.youtube.com]

Some of my fondest memories as a young boy growing up in Halifax, NS were the Sunday family drives we used to go on. I remember the excitement of leaving our neighbourhood to discover a beach, park or camping spot that was totally new to me. I was always filled with wonder as I looked out the car window during our journey. I also loved music. Still do. So many of those Sunday drive memories are triggered by an unexpected source…soft rock radio! 92 CJCH was our local AM station. So I have fond recollections of James Taylor, Captain and Tenille, Dr. Hook and The Doobie Brothers. In fact, I still know the words to most soft rock songs word for word. These white bands and musicians became an integral part of my childhood experience. This dose of ‘white music’ outside of our house was mixed with the extensive exposure to ‘black music’ within my home. Diversity within diversity.

VBSS [my photo]

In 1992, I took my brand new teaching degree and decided to move to the Caribbean island of St Lucia. I was 21 years old…had just finished my first year teaching high school at my alma mater in Halifax. I came across the opportunity to teach English Language Arts in an all-black, sun-drenched country. Full of naivete, I boarded a one-way plane to St Lucia with just $500 in my pocket. Within 2 weeks I was teaching in Castries (capital city) at Vide Bouteille Secondary School. The principal was black, my colleagues were black, the students were black, the parents were black. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by people who looked like me! I could blend into the crowd (as long as I did not talk with my Canadian accent). This emersion extended much beyond my daily work environment. the commercials on TV were populated with black faces, The news anchors were black, the politicians were black, the sellers in the market were black. I fell deeply in love with the people, food, music and stunning natural beauty of St Lucia. It felt so comfortable.

School day @ VBSS [my photo]

Here is my actual journal entry from September 7, 1992:

“I had an ‘all-black’ dream last night. This may seem trivial to some, but it is monumental to me. The people in the dream included doctors, students, politicians, wives…I cannot remember the last time, if ever, I had an ‘all black’ dream. I feel this is good for my soul because I think I have been brainwashed into visualizing black lawyers, doctors, professionals as special and unusual, rather than the norm. I think St Lucia will be very good for my consciousness”

When I reflect 26 years later, my experience in St Lucia was life-changing. Even though I grew up in a household in Halifax, NS that was filled with positive black culture…this living/working experience in the Caribbean was the most empowering and beautiful experience of my life. A professor who is a close friend of mine likened my black dream story to language acquisition. She made the connection that once you start dreaming in a second language, you are fluent. Great point.

So be active. Travel big and travel small. Immerse yourself in the cultures and environments that your soul needs. If you are in a daily minority situation…have the courage to go to a place where the majority of folks are similar to you. Hopefully, these self-love situations will flow from your heart, to your thoughts…and into your dreams.