He cried out for his mama. – Tasha Spillett-Sumner, Guest Blogger

He cried out for his mama.

I can’t get this out of my head.

When I saw it, another public execution of a Black person, I was holding my phone in one hand and my sleeping, precious, brand new baby brown girl, in the other. 

My heart sank,

and then it combusted.

I understand the rage that’s fuelling the fires we see burning.

Do we have to set flame to a world that steals the breath from bodies that look like mine, that look like my child’s, so another more just world, one worthy of her,  can rise from the ashes? 

If so, I say let it fucking burn.

– tasha spillet-sumner

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Tasha Spillett-Sumner (she, her, hers) draws her strength from both her Nehiyaw and Trinidadian bloodlines. A celebrated educator, poet, and emerging scholar, Spillett is most heart-tied to contributing to community-led work that centres on land and water defence, and the protection of Indigenous women and girls. She is currently working on her PhD in Education through the University of Saskatchewan, where she holds a Vanier Canada Award.

// Twitter: @TashaSpillett // Instagram: @tasha.spillett

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