My Name is Nathan and I'm an artist and musician that works under the name Great Black Century. I also build houses and enjoy southern winters, pizza and cussing.

Lada: Why is it important for black people to have black only spaces?

I grew up in a predominantly white suburb in the 1980s, about 10 minutes north of Dallas, called Plano. So the importance of black only spaces was evident to me very early in life being that my earliest elementary school memories were things like black jokes being traded between white kids and fighting during recess after being called a nigger (by one of my friends at the time, mind you). So to me, there was a sense of relaxation when my folks would pack me and my sister up for a weekend trip to South Dallas to see our cousins and aunts and grandmother. For me I was able to lay down any anxiety I carried while in Plano because I knew the treats of racist bullies or biased teachers couldn't reach all the way down to South Dallas. Like, I knew those white kids acted tough because I was out numbered. I knew their courage only existed in white spaces, so it made me feel safe to be in a part of town where every single direction you looked was black people.

Being black anywhere in the eyesight of white people is like being underwater in the ocean to me. Like, this shit really wasn't made for you - ever. You can spend time down here but there are no promises that a benign activity like snorkeling won't result in your death. Black spaces are the dock you can sit on with no threat of a jellyfish calling the police (white sharks) on you because they don't believe you should be in their reef. Black spaces are the life giving gulp of air needed to dive back down and navigate an inherently hostile world like the open ocean.

Lada: With the world so critical of black women yet clearly obsessed with black women, please share where your love for black women stem from and how it is sustained.

Early in my life it certainly stems from the women in my family. My mother, of course, who is an absolute force. My sister, who is my only sibling but she's 8 years older than me, so she was my earliest protector. I have all aunts, no blood uncles and a gang of female cousins. But I don't love black women simply because I'm related to black women. I suppose I love them because I know whatever I go through is two-fold for them. And somehow black women manage to still stand up and walk into the world everyday, glazed in coconut oil and full of fire. So that's where it starts, but what sustains it is understanding that black people can only win if we do it largely as a whole. It's never going to work if we only talk about all the ways black men are affected by being black in this country. There are a lot of white male patriarchal things we subscribe to that have no place in a community trying to heal itself. Our efforts will never work if it's just black women 'having the backs' of black men but we never reciprocate. Simply put, I just want to give black women what they give to me. So if Im made to feel seen and supported, I want to make sure they feel seen, heard and supported too. It won't always be perfect because everyone is healing. But as long as we come from a place of understanding that, I think we'll do better by each other.

Lada: With so many civil rights leaders killed for their unapologetic stance on blackness and the advancement of their people, one could be afraid of being pro black, cointel pro, etc. (especially under this regime) but you do so effortlessly, naturally, and regally and on a platform that doesn't respect black voices. How?

I suppose it boils down to it no longer being a viable option to ignore the totality of the conditions of black people in this country. August 20, 2019 will mark 400 years in the land known as the United States. 400 years wields a lot of data on the affects of openly documented and admitted racism in policy making towards black people in this country. We have the results and it's all trending towards annihilation, just as we always knew. So i wouldn't necessarily say it's any sense of individual courage on my part - but more of an all hands on deck, black collective tone that encourages the sharing of black truths to be spoken.

As far as the very real idea of state surveillance and the threat of state violence - that's just become a normal expectation of black life, unfortunately. I think black people have come to understand the value of black life in the eyes of our government. So keeping silent won't mitigate the very real possibility of state violence.

Lada: The content on your page is very inclusive (LGBTQ, people with disabilities, feminism, etc.) How imperative is it to hold space, speak out against their unfair treatment, especially as a black man? is there an importance of protecting these spaces and how it that integral to black success?

Looking at it from a purely black perspective, you cannot say you love black people if you only speak up for the well-being of some black people. Also, when you alienate segments of your own community you narrow the field of critical thinkers that can digest complex problems. And what has become apparent is those people in your community who are historically shunned (LGBTQ, the disabled, women, etc.) their minds are more conditioned for complex issues because they have to think critically to resolve matters that do not present themselves to the 'accepted' segment of the community. So that's why it's imperative to support them and give them space to speak about their experiences.

Lastly, it is my opinion that black men, especially, should be the greatest allies and accomplices for other marginalized groups. One, because even though we experience detrimental affects from systemic racism, we still get an invite to come claim privileges of white male patriarchy before some other groups. The reason for that is we make the white boys feel cool and the white girls feel sexy. And if you are the a black man who is willing to amplify all the things white dominant culture loves about black culture while also suppressing everything that makes them nervous about black culture, then you have a clear path to the table to collect your privileges. The second reason black men, in my opinion, should be the greatest allies and accomplices is because we do have legitimate grievances that should make easy to identify with other marginalized groups. So when other marginalized groups speak their truths, we black men should have little to no problem identifying with their plight because we know what it feels like to be targeted, follow, picked upon and excluded. So it always baffles me when I see other black men completely dismiss the experiences of other marginalized people the same way whiteness dismisses the experiences of those same black men. I have no desire to become what I am trying to eradicate. So it never made sense to me to scream for freedom at the top of your lungs and then turn around and impose the very oppression that you just worked so hard to dismantle. That's what people like Thomas Jefferson did, and I think the hypocrisy of his ideas are finally catching up with his legacy. But black folks will not make it far, or at all, if we do not include all black people.

Lada: Nathan and I have been Facebook friends for sometime and I always appreciate his post uplifting black people and how he advocates for black women and other marginalized groups within our community. The content he shares is powerful and I was so happy to see that he agreed to do the interview. I hope you all enjoy=)