In historic times,whenever the world entered a very dark place, people that were blessed by God with unique skills would rise to the occasion, serving as “David” type figures against the Goliath-ish challenges presented. People like Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglass, Nat Turner, Barack and Michelle Obama and even Beyonce have shown us that even in the darkest moments, our light shines the brightest. A new dark moment that we are currently facing is a global pandemic caused by the CoronaVirus, simply known as COVID-19. Since the beginning of this pandemic, the world has been flipped so many times that some of us don’t know if we are going or coming. We’ve experienced so much trauma and losses, that the possibility of a win seems highly impossible and improvable. However…. darkness doesn’t always last.
During this “pajama jam'', people have followed the footsteps of musical icon, Beyonce, and have taken life’s lemons and made artistic masterpieces; wonderful works of literature, beautiful graphic artwork, vibing music, hot couture fashion, and mini movies and sitcoms that will have you clinging to TikTok and Instagram as if you were watching the latest episode of “Lovecraft Country.” Personally, I have fallen into absolute fandom when it comes to new music from indie artists such as C4 0ptim0 (@c40ptim0), Brick Baby (@1008brick), and Yaz (@only1yaz). These three artists have recorded the soundtrack of my life during this panorama.
I have personally enrolled in masterclasses that have taught me how to build my business. Those masterclasses were taught by Matthew ‘Mixedby Fuego’ Dagle (@mixedbyfuego); one of the official audio engineers for Travis Scott and Summer Walker. I’ve interned for one of the hottest Djs in Atlanta, Marlo ‘da Martian’ Blaxon (@marlodamartian), and I’ve started my own business; “Drip Juice Lemonade Co.” @drinkdripjuice. A renaissance has been born during the midst of this rona. According to a February article published in the New York Times, the pandemic has been single handedly responsible for the surge of entrepreneurship in the U.S.
We are witnessing a whole new revolution that involves the creative genes and sparks that God placed inside each and every individual. Similar to the Harlem Renaissance and the Elizabethean period, creativity has taken center stage in a world that had become accustomed to just merely existing. The pandemic has activated the fight or flight sense and many have turned to fight. Their fight has been vocalized by their talents. TikTok and instagram sensation, Tabitha Brown (@tabithabrown) has revolutionized the concept of the vegan diet by virtually inviting the world into her kitchen and crafting meals that are both tasty and good looking; all while serving us good vibes. Why? Because that’s her business.
The Instagram music battle series, ‘Verzuz’ has kept many entertained by having head to head battles of musical icons, legends and giants, with two of the most controversial battles being between singer/ songwriters Brandy and Monica and Hip Hop legends Gucci Mane and Jeezy. While the latter was extremely intense, the pandemic has helped ‘Verzuz’ receive record breaking views.
Although Covid-19 has dealt us some harsh blows, we the people have proven ourselves to be resilient and resourceful. There has been a rebirth of the human spirit that has produced greatness in the midst of this mass pancake platter. We have proven that tough times don’t last, but tough and creative people do, especially during this “Rona Renaissance”.
The artwork included in this article is titled "Block Party" and it was illustrated by Archibald Motley, a Harlem Renaissance artist.