Black Uncles are a Gift From God

I had trouble sleeping, again. I thought about my uncle who is no longer with us. His name is Thomas. I imagined myself in a more dramatic role at his funeral, giving a great speech about him.

If I was preaching a sermon. If I was writing a poem. If I was starting a chapter in a novel, it would be titled, “Black Uncles are a Gift From God…”

I think of him all the time. I think Uncles are a gift because there are things you don’t do or say with your parents, or even your aunts. In this case, with my Uncle Thomas, he was not only my uncle but my big brother. My cousins and I didn’t just love him because he was our uncle. I think (speaking for them) he was a special Black Man who had an energy and aura that we were drawn to. I appreciate so much about him. I have so many memories. He and all of my uncles were my influences and took care of me alongside my mother and grandmother. I was the luckiest Black Boy in Richmond, Virginia. He showed me things, we drank together, smoked that good “Regular” weed together, and laughed together. He was loud, funny, independent, a Black Man with odds stacked against him. He had an infectious and hearty laugh and I loved listening to him talk about stories of his childhood. I also think my uncle was angry. Let me explain. Thomas had a righteous anger. I think because of the confederate city we grew up in, he (all of us) felt the racial environment. He felt the vibe of his surroundings. He knew when he walked outside that he was the Black Enemy of the state of Virginia. He was a citizen, a threat, born and raised in RVA, a Veteran, but that doesn’t matter when you’re Black, then and now especially when you’re Tee! He didn’t take shit from racists, in the Army or in his hometown.

He clashed with his Black high school basketball coach and he suffered for it-something he didn’t deserve. My uncle knew and felt his potential. He lived life his way. He rocked the boat, as the expression goes. He was a very unique person, before his time, an activist with no way to channel it-possibly?

He was easygoing, the same person all of the time and he changed the energy of any room he walked into. I often wonder if he felt alone.

Thomas is in my heart. He is an icon and hero to me. Rowdy, uncompromising, and unapologetically Black.

One last thing. I’m glad I’m his nephew. I’m glad he shared his life with me. I’m glad I can look at his two sons and see Thomas, my Uncle.

Written by Michael Allen

Escape Indie Collective 2020.

Changes and corrections-2.4.24

All Rights Reserved

For my People!