Cyah Leave We Alone, We Rel Stayin’ Home: A Black Caribbean Diasporic Reflection on Healing Through Movement, Creating Home, and Time-Warping During COVID-19

Imagine you’ve just entered the fete you’ve been looking forward to all week. The selector¹ warms up with some calypso, the food and libations beckon from the side table, and early birds like you and your crew border the party’s perimeter, eyes closed and bodies swaying as they anticipate the crescendo of guests and music. Time passes, slow and swift, mirrored by the music’s steady progression to middle school dancehall,² and you open your eyes to see the crowd thickening as the speakers’ bass deepens. You move closer to the center and join strangers who are now your dancing partners.