Thoughts by O: "The Black Nod - Introspective Analysis"

What is ‘The Black Nod’?

O’s definition is: “a slight tip of the head among entities racialised as Black which has added geo-cultural and racial dimensions”.

Let me provide a personal example to grant further understanding. Working within Fashion PR (an experience which deserves its own article), I vividly remember a situation where a potential client viewed our workspace for a potential partnership. The aforementioned was an older Black lady. While Black culture is often at the forefront of the arts and entertainment, Black people behind the scenes are often subjected to extreme forms of bullying. I nodded at her and she nodded back. Very subtle, but extremely important. Refusal to respond is tantamount to treason. 

What does it symbolise?

This single nod; a slight tilt of the head acknowledges the depths of hell we have risen from but also how far we have to go both within wider society. The nod transcends class, cultural and ethnic divisions, on a shared sense of racial identity. It should be noted that the Black Nod doesn’t usually occur in contexts that are perceived to be predominantly Black. As a Black man walking in Peckham, I wouldn’t nod at a Black person solely on account of their racial identity, however, if I were to nod, it would be (or at least should be) reciprocated. The Black Nod in white spaces is an accolade and an acknowledgement by kinfolk of their overcome entrenched obstacles due to simply existing. 

What about non-Black people who have grown up in the ‘ends’ and partake in this racial ritual? 

The entwining of race and class allows non-Black working-class people who were raised in a multicultural setting to recognise and adopt this practice. This, however, is a subconscious awareness of the socio-cultural capital (or lack of) by said participants. Even if one of the participants within this exchange is Black, it doesn’t account for the racial dimensions of identity. The co-opting of ‘The Black Nod’ by non-Black people excludes Black people who aren’t ‘ends’ affiliated. As a result, I have labelled this similar yet different phenomenon as ‘The Block Nod’.

How can you tell the difference?

To clarify, I am focused solely on the politics of nodding culture. There is no physiological difference between nods, there is no set way (in my experience at least) of how to tip your head and no identity-dependent head movements. Arguably (which is privileged in itself), society dislikes poor people. This can be seen by the neo-liberal rhetoric which is spouted by those in positions of power and lapped up by a significant part of the UK.  I, like many working-class youths growing up in inner-city London, recognise the truth to this statement and understood that ‘The Block Nod’ too was a way of maintaining class solidarity. However, I, like many multicultural working-class youth and others in general, conflated ‘The Black Nod’ with ‘The Block Nod’, treating working-class as synonymous with Blackness. This can be evidenced by the changing criteria of assessment of who is worthy to the cultural indicators of one’s socio-economic disposition (clothing, accent and lingo to name but a few) from how one is racialised solely. 

But not all Black people are poor?

The contexts aforementioned do not encompass the universality of ‘The Black Nod’. In order to reach a true understanding of collective kinship shared by Black folk, it is important we focus on how the lack of access to resources in the global village strengthens the bonds of fraternity. Ultimately, the pandemic that is white supremacy has placed almost immovable hurdles in the way of Black people (whether rich or poor) in order to achieve. For this reason, the Black Nod cannot be understood solely in class terms, because traditional economic theory fails to recognise that to be Black is to experience relative economic oppression. 

Human identity is multi-dimensional, how does ‘The Black Nod translate’?

It is important to stress that ‘Blackness’ is not limited to a specific set of characteristics. As mentioned earlier, I vividly remember engaging in ‘The Black Nod’ with an older Black woman, however, a majority of my exchanges have been with men. Intersectionality or more specifically, misogynoir is key when examining why Black Women are less likely to initiate ‘The Black Nod’. Social attitudes regarding women coupled with a hypersexualised view of the Black woman creates a fear of the Black woman’s intentions being misrepresented or misunderstood. Another area of the Black community to observe is the LGBTQ+ segment. Unfortunately, due to entrenched homophobic and transphobic ideals which run rampant within the Black community (as in wider society), it is reasonable to assume that Black LGBTQ+ members are less comfortable or less inclined to engage within this racial ritual. Toxic ideas of masculinity which are prevalent prevent men from initiating an exchange with open LGBTQ+ figures for a fear of a misrepresentation of their intentions, or to not appear to be operating outside of cis-heteronormativity. Growing up as a cisgender heterosexual man from the ‘ends’, have allowed me to witness these attitudes first-hand, and the relegation of the LGBTQ+ community to a second-tier blackness. Due to the relative privileges my identity entails, I have had the ‘option’ to confront this reality. My inability to accurately delve deep into ‘The Black Nod’ and its effect/use by members of the Black community who identify with other marginalised groups is an accurate reflection of the divisions with the Black community, highlighting how far we have to go in creating a more inclusive community. 

Final thoughts?

Granted, there is still some way to go in creating a fully inclusive community but for the most part, ‘The Black Nod’ transcends divisions with the Black community and affirms a sense of solidarity with our kinfolk in the diaspora. However, the nod is bittersweet. Within this nod is pain and sorrow; anger and anguish at the racist structures which have, are and will continue to brutalise our souls for characteristics which we have no control over.

O

@osmanjalloh_