Don’t Block Your Blessings: Fighting Erasure and Finding Cultural Resilience
Publisher’s Statement
A couple of days ago I was in a state of Annoyance. Maybe it was the internet, maybe it was resilience or maybe I was frustrated by the United States government’s decision to defund the Louisiana museum.
A place that means something. A place that holds our stories.
When a space like that is dismissed or made disposable, it’s not just history being erased.
It’s identity, pride, and memory — all being quietly shoved aside.
This isn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last.
But that doesn’t make it easier.
What’s happening in the U.S. now feels like an assault.
The racism is loud, confident, and backed by policy.
And with today’s technology, America’s hate travels far and wide.
The broadcast is global — and so is the damage.
Still, when I think about what my ancestors had to do to survive — how they navigated a world built to erase them — my grievances start to feel like shadows of bigger battles.
What they endured was physical, spiritual, generational.
That doesn’t mean today’s fights don’t matter.
It means we’ve got legacy behind us and responsibility ahead of us.
Here’s where I stand:
I will not let them erase us.
Not our culture, not our institutions, not our art, not our history.
And I will not let bitterness settle in my bones.
Because even when I’m fed up, I’m still here.
And that counts for something.
This brings me to Patti.
At the gym that same day, trying to sweat the frustration out, Patti LaBelle’s voice floated through my Air Pods — singing “Don’t Block Your Blessings.”
And it stopped me.
Not in my tracks, but in my spirit.
That song isn’t just a melody.
It’s medicine.
In a moment when the world seemed determined to tell me no, Patti reminded me of the yes.
The blessings that show up even when you’re tired.
The blessings that find you after you’ve been pushed to the edge, but still choose to dance.
That’s the kind of strength I want to hold on to.
Let’s not let them block what’s ours.
We are here.
We will not be disappeared.
— Ronald Bunn
WATCH: Patti Labbelle – Don’t Block The Blessings – Live @ The Oprah Winfrey Show. (or search on YouTube.)
WATCH: Patti LaBelle: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert (search on YouTube.)
A Personal Note:
In 1978, I had the joy of meeting Patti LaBelle at Tavern-on-the-Green in New York City.
She was as gracious as she was gifted — a living embodiment of resilience, soul, and light.
This moment stayed with me. And decades later, when her voice reminded me to “Don’t Block Your Blessings,” it wasn’t just music — it was memory echoing forward.
Copyright © Routes, A Guide to African-American Culture. All rights reserved.
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I still have our first copies. At 85, I have fought so many battles as a Black Man. I commend you for your tenacity and endurance and I will remember “Routes” as long as I live. Also, I am in Berlin every summer for two weeks. I could visit if you let me know where you are.
Thank you David. I will always be grateful for how we were able to create a template for an important Legacy of African-American culture. It’s not been easy these past 47+ years, but your words, in hindsight sight, make my thoughts about this continuing journey worthwhile.