Freedom Dreaming in a World on Fire

Written By AMBER SESSOMS

On ancestral courage, Emma’s wisdom, and reclaiming dreaming as a sacred political act.

Hey, Collective,

This week brought us another sobering look at what happens when power is misused and history is manipulated. First, SignalGate—a high-level national security breach where top Trump administration officials used Signal, a private messaging app, to discuss a pending military strike on Yemen.

Then, an executive order was issued targeting the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), calling to "remove improper ideology" and defund programs that explore institutional and scientific racism. As if that weren’t enough, the order also directs the reinstatement of “pre-existing [Confederate] monuments”—a particularly egregious attempt to simultaneously diminish the history of racism while celebrating those who fought to preserve slavery.

My reflections on visiting the museum with my students in May 2019.

Keith Boykin cuts to the heart of it: the executive order “does nothing” to NMAAHC. Its real intent is distraction—shifting focus from the SignalGate scandal, which itself served to distract from the economy, as revealed in Pete Hegseth’s own Signal message. Distraction layered upon distraction. All of it designed to keep us disoriented, reactive, and disconnected from truth.

I took my family to visit the museum in August 2023.

At first glance, these events may seem disconnected—but they are linked by a deeper attempt to control the narrative. To erase memory. And yet, in the midst of all this, Emma and I turned toward something radical on the podcast this week: freedom dreaming (Kelley, 2002, 2022). Amid a culture that demands seriousness—more like frenzy—and suppresses imagination, we asked: What does it mean to reclaim dreaming as a sacred, necessary practice? What would it look like to build a world where our children's wildest dreams are protected—not politicized?

Because these headlines aren’t just about policy—they’re about memory. About whose stories are preserved, whose futures are protected, and whose imaginations are allowed to flourish. As Brittany Packnett Cunningham reminds us:

Black people's memory has mattered long before we ever had a monument, and preserving that memory has preserved us. Those blueprints are how we got over. That's how we survived. That's how we sustained for generations in abjectly hostile territory. Our memory is how we built a future for a people that were supposed to be wiped out by now, a present for a people who were always supposed to be past. Our survival was supposed to be an impossibility—but instead, African people, chained and enslaved and ripped from their motherland, took the memory of that place, took the memory of our many languages and faiths and tribes and traditions and family structures and ways of being and values, and created a new people in order to be protected and to persist. African American is a whole new creation based on the memory we preserved. That's who we are. So now more than ever, we gonna have to act like we know who we are. We are going to need those blueprints to survive, and we're going to need to preserve the memory we're creating now to build the future we deserve.

It reminded me of something I told Emma this week, reflecting on the words of Dr. Shawn Ginwright: Our ancestors dared to dream another dream. In a world that denied their humanity, they imagined something entirely new. They believed in the human spirit. They believed in us. And to deny our ability to dream—our right to imagine—is to betray the legacy of those who imagined us into existence.

In a week where so much was designed to distract or distort, this moment calls us back to our lineage. To the resilience of Black history. To the legacy of our ancestors. To the wild dreams that birthed us.

The Power of Discovery

In a world that thrives on distraction, Discovery is a radical return. A return to the stories, dreams, and truths that shaped us—and that many systems seek to erase. This week’s attacks on historical institutions and attempts to whitewash military misconduct are part of a larger narrative strategy: to bury the truth, to make us forget. But Discovery resists. It reminds us that we are here because someone imagined us first. Our very existence is proof of someone else’s dream.

Emma’s Wisdom on Discovery:

Emma reminded us that imagination is our original inheritance. In designing comic characters, reflecting on dreams, and describing her vision for a better world, she helped us remember what we often forget as adults: we are born creatives. Her creativity flows with ease, not because she is trying to prove anything, but because she trusts in her own curiosity.

At one point in our conversation, Emma brought up Gravity Falls—a show she loves for its weirdness, mystery, and hidden clues. It reminded me of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech about Rip Van Winkle sleeping through a revolution. In the story, Rip wakes up to a world completely transformed, having missed the entire upheaval of his time. Dr. King’s point was this: don’t sleep through your moment. Don’t miss the movement that’s happening all around you. Gravity Falls may be fiction, but the message is real: stay awake, stay curious, and pay attention to the clues. Emma lives that.

Whether creating a doll with vitiligo and locs or getting inspired by a strange cartoon town, Emma revealed how freedom dreaming begins with seeing the world not just as it is—but as it could be.

Power of Discovery Curiosities

  1. What childhood dreams or creative passions have I forgotten or dismissed—and why?

  2. Where in my life have I traded imagination for responsibility?

  3. What patterns, ideas, or “divine messages” keep showing up that invite me back to myself?

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The Power of Discernment

Discernment helps us see through the noise—to decide what is real, what aligns with our values, and what stories we will choose to carry forward. This week’s political chaos tried to rob us of clarity and truth. But when we know who we are and whose we are, we don’t fall for the bait. Discernment is about alignment, not reaction. It’s about returning to what centers us.

Emma’s Wisdom on Discernment:

Emma reminded us that while it’s easy to envision a creative idea, the hard part is getting it from your head into the world. And yet, she knows she was made to create. She grounds herself in this belief—that we are all creative because we are made in the image of a creative God. I said, “If God is the most creative being ever,” and without missing a beat, she added, “then we have a lot of creativity too.” That truth helps her push past frustration, find workarounds, and keep showing up for the art inside her. Emma reminds us that discernment isn’t just about thinking clearly—it’s about remembering who we are and reclaiming what the world tries to stomp out: our creative birthright.

Power of Discernment Curiosities

  1. What do I believe about where my creativity comes from—and how does that belief support or limit me?

  2. When I feel stuck or frustrated in the creative process, what practices help me reconnect to who I truly am?

  3. Where in my life have I allowed the world to “stomp out” my creativity—and how might I begin reclaiming it?

The Power of Determination

Determination is where our dreaming becomes action. In a week filled with political distraction and cultural erasure, this power calls us to name our dreams aloud, to write them down, and to share them in beloved community. As Brittany Packnett Cunningham says, “It is dangerous to be a people with no memory.” But it’s equally dangerous to be a people with dreams left unnamed. Our ancestors didn’t just resist—they reimagined. They dreamed of us before they saw us. And now it’s our turn.

Emma’s Wisdom on Determination:

Emma lives this power boldly. When a creative block hits, she takes a break, finds another path, and keeps creating. From character designs to custom brushes in Procreate, she models what it means to make imagination tangible. She reminded us that dreaming without action is just a wish—but dreaming with commitment becomes legacy. And in her eyes, every spark of joy is a clue, a calling, a map.

Power of Determination Curiosities

  1. What dream or idea have I been sitting on that deserves to be shared or started?

  2. Who are the people in my life that help me stay accountable to my dreams?

  3. What small step can I take this week to move one dream closer to reality?

Closing Reflection + CTA

There’s something sacred about listening to a child speak their dreams out loud. No edits. No fear. Just wonder. Emma reminded us that dreaming isn’t childish—it’s courageous. And imagination isn’t extra—it’s essential.

This weekend, I invite you to do three things:

  1. Write down three “magic napkin” dreams—as if anything were possible.

  2. Start (or restart) your imagination journal.

  3. Share one dream with someone you trust who will say: “That’s not ridiculous. That’s brilliant. Build it.”

Because as Brittany Packnett Cunningham affirms, “Our memory doesn’t exist because of a building. [NMAAHC] exists because we were wise enough to preserve our memory.” We are the legacy of dreamers who remembered. Let us be the ones who dream forward.

And if this podcast episode or roundup activated something in you, don’t keep it to yourself. Forward it to a friend or loved one, leave a review, and subscribe to our Substack and YouTube channel for more reflections. And, if you are seeking sanctuary, I encourage you to find community within our 3D Power Collective. Complete the needs assessment and learn more!

In solidarity, action, and love,

Amber

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AMBER SESSOMS
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