Several Places at Once

Abstract

"Several Places at Once" explores the meaning of "inheritance," beyond its capitalist definition of things, items, and property, to include names, traits, and qualities. While the law thinks of inheritance as individualized, it can also be collective, which means descendants face obstacles created by the stereotypes, myths, and assumptions imposed on them. The pursuit of individual liberty has weakened social bonds and allowed one race to exploit others. Shared experiences provide resources that can be transmitted across generations. By exploring the possibilities of the American and African Indigenous community and identity in the past and present, these groups can enhance their inherited traits of resilience and problem-solving. An honest reckoning with their entire inheritance forces communities to confront ambiguity, uncertainty, and their attendant pressures, and is necessary to overturn the meta-narratives about Black and Indigenous disappearance, invisibility, marginality, and death.