Book Report: No Ashes in the Fire

 

 

Magic, Imagination and Radical Love

 

    There has never been a better time to employ radical Black imagination than now. With the myth of “normal” pre-pandemic life exposed, we can work towards a world where people can “live without having to fight so damn hard to exists (105).” In Darnell L. Moore’s memoir, No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black Free & in America, the transformative power of radical love transforms individuals and communities. As we uncover the “various powers that [are] at work in stealth” upholding inequity, we can usher in a radical new way of living. (28)

            Imagining a better future is revolutionary. In a world that has taught Black people to “covet whiteness and riches and gender conformity and traditional family structures and perfect bodies and heterosexuality” the work ahead is not simple but it is necessary. (103) Darnell states that “self-reflection was key to a long, everyday process of internal transformation” and it is this very transformation that began to chisel away at these larger forces (110). New possibilities can be realized if we but take stock of how these greater forces have limited our imaginations.

Darnell is proof that even for those that play by the rules, achieving the trappings of success in a white-dominated & capitalist world does not exempt you from the stigmas and stereotypes placed on Black people. Returning home after college reminded Darnell that “black people are not somehow bettered by achieving the American Dream (124).” In fact, Darnell was thrown into debt trying to appear successful. Thankfully, Darnell makes it clear that we don’t need superheros to save us, we simply need the care of others and care for ourselves.

            No Ashes in the Fire details Darnell’s first hand experience of how “…hope often surfaces as the result of radical love (30).” We learn that it is through his mom and Aunt Barbara that Darnell learned “…why it was, and is, necessary to reject stereotypes about black people without wealth. They were rich in empathy, support and compassion (43)”. These qualities were what allowed Darnell and those around him to exist in a world that had made little effort to see their humanity. Whether it was sharing food, clothing or a place to rest for the night, people in the community looked out for one another even at their own expense. Darnell defined care as “the kind of support that one gives to push another toward wholeness (44).” A radical future demands that we stop limiting others and encourage them to grow into their fullest selves.

            Accessing our most authentic self is another piece of Black radical imagination. Forcing BIPOC into set stereotypes has been a recipe for disaster. These unrealistic expectations can fragment people in two: their authentic self and their outer projection. And this fragmentation can push individuals further into themselves creating “a world full of loud silences (74)”. They suffer but they feel they have no one to talk to. Darnell experiences the opposite experience through his friend, Ramik’s, unapologetic personality. Seeing Ramik take away the power from those that taunted him made Darnell love “…more and more the pieces of [himself] that others despised. Ramik allowed [Darnell] to be (85).” By seeing the possibilities in others, even without explicit direction to do so, Darnell was able to heal.

            One other important piece of radical Black imagination is healing to be able to help others. When we are healed internally, we can look outward and spend time tending to others. We see this in Darnell’s experience as a teacher where his disruptive student, Thomas, needed additional support. Over time, Thomas “began to believe in himself, and his abilities, because we gave him no choice but to touch the greatness he carried within (130).” Had Darnell not viewed the similarities the two of them shared, Thomas would not have received the honest care he was seeking.

            I see greater value in the naming of my own history after reading No Ashes in the Fire. Take, for example, the one-sided history of the Camden uprising in the 1970’s. Darnell makes it clear that “to not retell, reclaim, and rewrite that history here would perpetuate the [lies] (27).” How often have I allowed myself to be limited by what I imagined other people wanted me to be? By sharing my story I can claim my unique identity and start work towards healing. After all, “to discover and name what shapes us is to engage in the work of history (10).”

            I support my local community but it is clear I must be mindful of my impact. Communities know what they need to improve and it is important that I center their needs over my desire to “do good”. Darnell’s desire to create an inclusive LGBTQ+ school was met with resistance by community members who “were determined to fight any semblance of manipulation…meted out by the…people in charge of creating the dire…conditions residents were told to be content with (151).” Keeping open and honest dialogues will ensure community actions are rooted in equity and not simply one-sided decisions.

            The most important takeaway from No Ashes in the Fire is to increase the love I have for myself. Fostering a love for oneself increases the empathy you have for others. Darnell spoke to this idea when he said, “I really had yet to fully love and accept myself, which is why I refused to love and accept men who were courageous enough to express themselves as they desired (136).” Putting down others for traits you suppress within yourself is common but preventable. I can attest to the power I found once I uncovered “the queer magic I possessed (108).” The more authentic I become, the more positive people, opportunities, and energies I attract.

            We must not be afraid to tap into radical love in a world that discounts our humanity. Let us not wait “to believe all of [us are] loveable (112).”