Real Talk, Real Love: A Family Meeting Across the Diaspora

Y’all ever been at a family reunion where folks low-key sizing each other up across the card table? One side of the family isn’t talkin’ to the other, somebody got a story about who did what back in the day, and Auntie just tryin’ to keep the peace with a prayer and a plate?

Yeah… sometimes that’s what being part of the African Diaspora feels like.

We’re spread across continents, cultures, languages, accents, and passports. Some of us grew up on jollof, some on jerk, some on greens and cornbread, and some on all three. And while our rhythms beat with the same ancestral drum, it’s not always harmony.

Let’s Be Honest:

There’s real misunderstanding. There’s tension. There’s judgment. There’s jealousy. Sometimes… even hostility.

But underneath all of that? There’s pain. There’s pride. And there’s power.

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We Didn’t Land Here the Same Way — But We’re Still FamilyT

The truth is, colonization, slavery, forced migration, and cultural erasure hit us differently depending on where we (or our ancestors) were dropped. Some folks were taken, some colonized, some both. And those systems didn’t just separate us — they conditioned us to mistrust one another, compare trauma, and protect ourselves from being “othered” again.

But it’s 2025 now! We’re grown. We’re wise. And it’s time to break that cycle.

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🗣️ A Call for Conversation, Not Condemnation

Here’s what we’re NOT gonna do:
We’re not finger-pointing.
We’re not debating who struggled more.
We’re not shaming folks for not knowing “where they from-from.”

What we are doing is listening. Learning with heart felt hearing. Leaning in.
We’re opening the door for respectful, honest dialogue — the kind that doesn’t get loud until the laughter starts.

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🧩 Our Differences Aren’t Divisions — They’re Puzzle Pieces

Caribbean, African, African American, Afro-Latinx, Afro-European — we’re all carrying threads of the same ancestral tapestry. Your story might not be mine, but it’s still part of ours. And once we start seeing the full picture? That’s when the healing — and real collaboration — begins.

So here’s what I’m inviting us to do in this space:

✨ Share your story.
✨ Ask questions without fear of looking “uneducated.”
✨ Listen without trying to “fix” or correct.
✨ Drop your defenses and bring your curiosity.

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🖤 Why This Matters (Even for a New Card Company)

You might be wondering why a greeting card designer is talking about colonization and Diaspora dynamics.

Simple: My cards carry our stories. And I can’t do that right if I only speak to One voice in the room.

This brand, this blog, this whole vibe — it’s not just about paper and ink. It’s about truth, connection, and showing love in all the languages, our people speak. From Patois to Pidgin, from African American English Vernacular (AAVE) to French Creole — we see you! And we’re building a table big enough for all of us.