The beautiful arrival of spring weather and the healing power of a stranger's psychic reading set the stage for our deeper dive into a troubling conflict dividing Black communities online. As my palm reader wisely noted that my defensive walls might be keeping out more good than bad, I couldn't help but see the parallel to what's happening between Black Americans and South Africans over the controversial Zulu parade in New Orleans.

When South African Zulu people voiced concerns about cultural appropriation and blackface in this Mardi Gras tradition, the response should have been simple: listen and learn. Instead, dismissal spiraled into a full-blown diaspora war with both sides hurling increasingly harmful stereotypes. From mocking American slavery to perpetuating colonial myths about Africa, these exchanges reveal something deeply troubling – we're fighting each other using the very weapons created by white supremacy to keep us divided.

What's most heartbreaking is watching how these conflicts strengthen the systems designed to oppress all Black people globally. Every time we aim hurtful stereotypes at each other, we're doing the work of white supremacy for free. These diaspora wars – whether between Black Americans and South Africans, light-skinned versus dark-skinned, or any other division within our community – follow the same destructive pattern. They drain our collective energy while reinforcing harmful narratives that benefit no one except those who wish to see us remain divided and conquered.

True liberation requires us to recognize when we're being played against each other. Can we start by simply acknowledging when something is offensive without justification or deflection? Can we redirect our passion toward dismantling the real enemy – global white supremacy – rather than tearing each other down? I'm convinced we're infinitely stronger together than apart, but getting there means breaking down walls between us, not building them higher. What walls might you need to examine in your own life and community?