A few things here. Emily, if you're reading this, please take a deep breath and read with an open mind and heart. It may get your hackles up a bit but bear with it. There's a lot to learn here, and, as an elder Euro-mutt, it's my duty to educate my people. (like Malcolm X said!) We all make mistakes. Tempting as it is deny and get defensive, it's better to learn and do better. Here goes ...
First off, Black is capitalized when referring to an ethnic group rather than a color. Eg, a Black man, a black car.
Next, it's tough being a big guy, especially if you're Black. Put yourself in his shoes. Everywhere you go, people expect you to be tough and dangerous. You're not allowed to express any emotion except anger. People peg you as an athlete at best, a criminal at worst. Rarely as a scientist, a teacher, a doctor, a skilled tradesman, someone's father, brother, son, friend. All because of the body you're in. By most accounts, none of us get to chose the bodies we're in. Read some blogs and see how many men -- especially Black men -- struggle with this issue and have a little empathy.
Next, the hamfisted way the author handled this conflict. Maybe a better way to handle it would have been to exchange a bit of small talk with the oldest female in the family to establish rapport. Find out how she's related to the guy playing the music, and his name. Then mention to her that his music is bothersome, ask if anyone in the group has headphones or earbuds handy, if he could be persuaded to use them. Maybe if his mother or his aunt gave him a pair of earbuds and asked him to use them, this would go over better than the Lion-taming show described here. Anyone else have ideas as to how this could be handled better?
Finally, the bit about the forced hug and the "feeling strangely drawn toward them" borders on softcore porn. All the racist tropes this invokes, other commenters have described them well. This is so cringe I almost reached for the Brain Bleach I keep in my bathroom cabinet, then thought better of it and went to the drugstore for some Lysol instead. This article was a toxic dose of whiteness, don't need any more of it in the noggin right now.
And PS -- the second to last paragraph, the powerful presence, "channelling the name 'Jackson'" -- really? -- suggests that this whole thing may have been satire. If so, it fails bigly. When real-life accounts resemble statire, or vice vera, this raises some serious questions. There's a glitch in the matrix for sure!
And PPS - I read the author's bio and got another dose of cringe. Shaman and Medicine Woman refer to specific roles in specific cultures. Unless we're members of those cultures it's better not to use those words. Instead, try words from pre-Christian European cultures, or RPG gamer culture. Wise Woman, Witch, Magick User, etc, all are good. And at age 28, the author of this piece is only a beginner at this. Save the titles for when you Crone.
