This morning I woke up to the news that Lena Horne passed away . The chord of my soul was struck. I immediately thought about legacy, the passing of the torch. And sadly came to a conclusion that we're not producing torch bearers as my African-American ancestors once have in the past.
I thought about the sense of responsibility to our future, and how over the years it has become "my future." I thought about how there are babies being born to teenagers, and how those babies will grow up to continue this socially crippling cycle. I thought about how these children will learn about the Civil Rights Movement of the last century, as more of a lesson to get a grade in school, rather than their legacy. We are slipping further away from our DNA, our path, faster than the actual years which passed.
Another trailblazer is no longer with us. And I hurt because I know that a less worthy figure will unceromoniously be handed the torch. Someone will step up and give their condolences, say how much Lena inspired them (yet you hear or see no similarities), and people, mainly media will try to create a story to meet its 24/7 news requirements.
All that I want to hear is that there will never be another Lena Horne; that she will never be replaced. People say that you can't change what is destined. Well legacy is off the table as well. If the torch bearer hasn't named a predecesor, that light is their own, to shine forevermore.
Yes, such a shock. I thought about the same thing... there's really no one to pick up the torch. SAD
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