I was startled out of my sleep at around 3 this morning. I tossed my quilt off of my body, wondering if now was the time that had been prophesized a couple of weeks ago. I closed my eyes and breathed in the cool night air, taking note of the fact that my superpower wasn’t the ability to still feel warm in the winter after getting out from under your blanket, nor was it the ability to NOT have to pee at 3 AM.
Damnit.
I consulted the high council, the almighty Black Twitter, to see that some had already been blessed. This tweet comes courtesy of DJ FREEDEM.
OMG A BLACK PERSON JUST FLEW BY MY WINDOW
— HRH DJ FREEDEM (@FREEDDDEM) December 21, 2020
I wasn’t too upset about not being able to fly. I live in the Midwest and we’re about to hit single digits, it’s FAR too cold to be up in the sky. I quietly hoped that the one who flew lived in a warmer climate, or at the very least, had on a warm coat. Perhaps the DJ who alerted us of this heroic sighting offered a jacket to his fellow superpowered being?
Still. I couldn’t help but wonder … where were my powers?
That’s the biggest question, along with a handful of others, to hit Black Twitter. As a certified Cancer, I’m obligated to help!
When do I get my superpowers?
Time zones played a part in when December 21st was for all of us, so midnight hit at different times. That’s why we saw tweets before midnight (I certainly did since I’m in the central time zone). That still doesn’t quite answer why I didn’t feel anything at 3 AM, but I believe it’s because I hadn’t fully awoken yet. Getting up in the middle of the night for a bathroom run doesn’t count, in my opinion, so I’d have to wait until I actually woke up and was ready to properly start my day.
And how did I actually start my day, you ask? Well, I don’t mean to brag, but:
I think it’s clear what my superpower is today 😌😌😌 pic.twitter.com/gP2AgXeFFs
— ❄️ Deck The Halls With Bri ❄️ (@BrichibiTweets) December 21, 2020
So yeah, the powers take time to kick in. I highly recommend scrolling through Black Twitter (which is most definitely trending right now) for further advice.
What are my superpowers and how should I use them?
GUYS ITS HAPPENING pic.twitter.com/owIHHuYVDf
— Zeno Robinson: Dimensional Parasite (@childishgamzeno) December 21, 2020
From what I can gather it depends on the person. Voice actor Zeno Robinson, for example, shared this tweet of the character he voices, Ogun, from Fire Force. Since he already embodies the character, it makes sense that this was his big moment.
There’s no definitive answer here. The only thing I am sure of is that according to my mother, the older you are the more powers you’ll possess since they’ve been festering inside you all this time, and, well, my mother isn’t a liar, so if you’re in the 60+ Black Folk Club you’re pretty much a god. Ask Dionne Warwick. She’ll tell you.
I’ve also seen posts that have been advising parents to monitor their children. Since children have yet to be heavily influenced by the world, their powers will be more potent. It’s not that children are dangerous (I think?) just easily excitable.
Waiting to see what I’m up against when my child wakes up tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/gVhP1OiFVB
— imagine the x-men cupid shuffling w/sentinels 😬 (@Steph_I_Will) December 21, 2020
Stephanie Williams knows her stuff when it comes to superpowers. A comic writer who will be penning a story for the upcoming Marvel’s Voices: Legacy #1 and creator of the Black-centric Living Heroes (an entertaining as hell play on the sitcom Living Single) I feel that this is sound advice for Black parents.
I should also note that it’s completely up to you how you use your powers. You’re not gonna get a “with great power comes great responsibility” speech from me today. I will, however, give you a warning. Those powers you now possess? Aren’t an answer to everything. Unfortunately, they won’t stop your cats from being entirely in the way when you’re trying to do work, nor will they make your kids remember to pull out the chicken to defrost in the sink. I’m sorry, these are superpowers, not miracles. I don’t make the rules.
What do I do about the naysayers?
Welp, we were gonna get to the crux of my headline eventually.
I wish y’all was quick to acquire assets and obtain life insurance, like y’all quick with those memes and jokes.
— MBA HuntBoy (@EmporiumCeo) December 21, 2020
Search in your heart of hearts, you knew these takes were coming. I have a tweet for this.
People out here trying to diminish the fun we’re having about December 21st remind me of the folks who were like “Wakanda isn’t real stop trying to book a flight” like DAMN we KNOW just let us make silly memes for a second 😂😂😂
— ❄️ Deck The Halls With Bri ❄️ (@BrichibiTweets) December 21, 2020
I don’t wanna focus too much on the handful of white folks who are twisting themselves like pretzels to try and fit into this narrative because, honestly, we’ve spent enough time on them. Instead, I want to address this need some Black folks have to be annoyed about collective joy.
There’s this thing that some of y’all do where you assume that being silly means we’re forgetting the real issues. Celebrating is seen as being uneducated about the trials and tribulations of Blackness, and putting energy into joy is seen as being lazy in other areas. “Why waste time on (insert harmless fun) when you could be focusing on (insert the thing that’s been devastating you for days/weeks/months/years/etc.).” It’s gotten to the point where some Black folks actually feel GUILTY for sharing anything good, worried that it’ll be seen as bragging or belittling folks who are suffering.
We talk a lot about how white folks love a good struggle narrative, but that mentality is also present in our own community to the point that you can always expect a “no fun zone” take on us trending over something that isn’t oppressive. Except, in this case, we’re made to feel bad or uncaring for sharing something outside the realm of our pain which, by the way, there’s been PLENTY of turmoil for us in 2020.
I SWEAR we talked about this over the summer, the exhaustion of being expected to present your pain in an ongoing PowerPoint presentation, the frustration of white folks reaching out AFTER you’re trending because of systematic racism, and the importance of self-care in the battle for equality.
Honestly, if we can have a flippin’ Talk Like A Pirate Day or an arbitrary day in May dedicated to Star Wars because it SOUNDS like may the force be with you, you can let Black folks have this one.
Please, let Black folks have this one.
Will my powers fade?
Eventually, this date will no longer trend, but as we all know, once it’s out in the universe (the Internet) it’s there forever.
The best part about being black on December 21st is that I’m either going to be laughing hysterically with black Twitter at all the jokes, or I’m going to have super powers. It’s a win-win in my book.
— Miles Morales (@poeticjustiZZ) December 15, 2020
(image: Cartoon Network Studios)
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