AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE DAY GONE END

Photo by Abhishek Pawar on Unsplash

In March 2024, during a widely viewed appearance on CNN’s Laura Coates Live, Memphis rapper GloRilla (Gloria Hallelujah Woods) was asked about politics. She declined to take a stance, saying, “I’m not gonna talk politics, I love the president, I love everybody.” Then she added with profound simplicity, “But at the end of the day, the day gotta end.” It was a soundbite that quickly went viral—philosophical, grounded, and unforgettable (uproxx.com).

As we are asked daily to ponder the uncertainty of humanity trapped in the alternate reality of necropolitics, ecological collapse, and moral erosion, GloRilla—a Black woman—delivered not only a summer soundtrack but a distilled truth: to begin anew, something must end.

Day in and day out (no pun intended), we surrender to systems and sedations that stop us from imagining liberation from the inundation of social media “politics” to the uncanny urgency to “break generational curses” by becoming an overnight millionaire, or feeding our social media fueled insecurities by wearing the latest designer outfit—a status quo shaped by those who claim superiority in the name of empty western value systems. Why are we still trying to prove our worth, value, and existence in a country that was built on our backs that questions the contributions and productivity of Black bodies at every systemic failure or setback. Even the concept of “day” is embedded in Western metaphysics of labor—day and night root back to Old English and ancient Germanic languages, foundational to timelines defined by sunlight. We devote our bodies, our care, our consciousness, to these constructively ordered hours without question.

We have reached the apex of destruction. The only way forward is dissent: to reject mainstream definitions of success, luxury, and wealth—to reimagine them beyond Western frameworks co-opted by capitalism, greed, and death. 

It is time for the day to end. It is time for new notions of leadership and futurity that center our most vulnerable populations.

Now, you might be wondering what are these solutions to the harsh conditions of colonialism, capitalism, and mass consumerism? What model might we follow for socio-economic reform? Who has the answers or an alternative way out? Well, let’s turn to the blueprint, Black women.The “day” doesn’t constrain us because our transformation, our magic, our labor cannot be confined to a 24‑hour cycle. We bend time. We build spaces for collective liberation.

Trail blazers like Angela Davis, Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, Tina Campt. Saidiya Hartman and Thelma Golden, through their works in afrofeminism and archiving the lost histories of Black people have long begun this outline of a new path. I have learned to look back to their works for insights on how to move forward towards a more revolutionary future. The advocacy in my career is a living extension of their legacies. I hope the next generation will carry their truths—embracing spirituality, timelessness, softness, and resistance as necessary tools for change.

I’ve recently undergone a spiritual journey that allowed me to decouple my sense of temporality, elevating patience and spiritual presence across moments and labor. As a new convert to Islam, I’ve come to honor the sanctity of time and space and the sacred rhythm of prayer, no longer governed by capitalist urgency, but by divine cadence.

Frameworks for alternative ways of living have always existed and we'd be more able to recognize them if we threw away the western blinders we've been forced to adopt and took a good look around. The future is not a destination—it’s a return. And that return begins with how we see ourselves: clearly, gently, and truthfully.

FREE PALESTINE. FREE SUDAN. FREE CONGO. FREE SYRIA. FREE YEMEN.

Zindzi Harley is a curator, writer, and creative strategist exploring Afro-feminism, Black and Afro diasporic contemporary art, and leveraging institutional activism via digital tactics that engage the public with art, artists, and making. She is the founder of Zindzine, a creative agency offering tailored brand strategy and boutique services to cultural institutions, brands, and artists as well as an arts publication amplifying diasporic voices for the curator in all of us. Zindzi is currently a David C. Driskell Fellow ‘24 and PhD student in Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Art Theory at IDSVA. Her work spans curatorial practice, cultural programming, and pop culture and brand strategy rooted in digital activism.