Akiera Xavina Charles
Groundation Grenada
St. George’s, Grenada
Moments before setting up my first writing workshop with Groundation Grenada, I struggled up Market Hill in town while carrying four bags full of supplies. By the time I arrived to the Priory, I had already sweated out my edges. I remember quickly …
…dabbing my baby hairs with gel praying that those pesky naps would stay down for once.
![narrow street with buildings and cars](https://wp.nyu.edu/gallatin_human_rights_fellows/wp-content/uploads/sites/935/2016/09/IMG_1383-e1472858763422-225x300.jpg)
Once people startled to trickle into the space immediately my vibes changed. Probably, I was super excited that people actually showed up, but regardless of who came or not I was sure during that moment of these workshops and myself.
![author and participants working on patio](https://wp.nyu.edu/gallatin_human_rights_fellows/wp-content/uploads/sites/935/2016/09/IMG_1631-300x225.jpg)
With the backyard location of the Priory, almost feeling like a picture from Solange’s wedding photos, everything about this space ended up feeling “Black Girl Magical.” I even recall there being a lot of laughter and smiling in the space, which spoke wonders to my spirit. After everyone opened up with introductions, we proceeded on having conversations about topics ranging from sexual orientation, asexual desire, lipstick, sleeping with professors and Broadway shows. We wrote letters, talked about our least favorite animals, whispered into each others’ ears, and wrote responses to how we imagine Grenadian women.
![author writing notes at table](https://wp.nyu.edu/gallatin_human_rights_fellows/wp-content/uploads/sites/935/2016/09/IMG_1634-e1473193671973-225x300.jpg)
While now reminiscent of this moment, I still think back to the week before this event when I became a creature of the night; nighttime was our “friend-enemy.” It cloaked our sins and identities, but also made us vulnerable to the many forms of evils lurking around at night. I remember at night was when I would met up and flirt with other women loving women and queer women in Grenada. During these nighttime retreats I also noticed how gay and men loving men would move more freely throughout these LBTQ kickback fetes by wining up on so or tongue kissing so. Only after we left these fetes would we remember our morning selves – timid souls cloaked by secrecy. Nonetheless, before night became morning, I left the party having gotten five numbers for different ladies (yay).
Akiera Xavina Charles. As a senior in Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Akiera is concentrating in “Understanding How Visionary Futurism and Spatial Geography Shapes the Afro-diasporic Imaginary.” While describing herself as an Afro-Caribbean, queer mango-loving, soon to be landscape architecture with a knack for throwing shade on “Whiteness,” as well as, documenting the dreams and desires of Afro-diasporic folks, Akiera on the side also likes to write Black Feminist manifestos and cook vegan food.