Black bodies, as might be conceived through the erudite lens of Bayo Akomolafe, are profound spaces of absences and presences, enigmas that defy the straightforwardness of color and light. They are entities that absorb all wavelengths, capturing the infinite narratives of the past, present, and future without partiality, echoing the holistic, interconnected, and deeply entangled essence of existence. The term invokes not just the physicality of absorption but transcends into the metaphysical realms of sociocultural and existential contemplations. In this beautifully complex dance, black bodies challenge the linear, the simplistic, and beckon us to rethink boundaries, histories, and identities—essentially to reimagine the very fabric of reality with a renewed sacredness and respect for what is often unseen yet profoundly impactful.

See also: black lives, slave trade, white supremacy, intergenerational trauma, racial justice