Race Relations

2017 - 1957 = 60

I was talking to an acquaintance who is "so tired of reading and talking about racism on Facebook."

I told her that I suffered from racial fatigue too, but, unlike her, I can't stop making sure I remain focused on seeing something and saying something when something needs to be said. She went on to say she doubts that I deal with any racism and I let her know that if any Black person is still dealing with racism...then I'm still dealing with it. I might have more microaggressions that just a look or a quick snap could deal with...but it is still there.

See...just because she can identify with me because we have so many things in common, she thinks I'm "not like the other Blacks" who encounter racist crap. She didn't say THAT...but that's essentially what she said. I have no doubt that should something racist ever happen to me, she'd be on the forefront demanding justice, but she might not consider it worth her time to demand the same justice for a poor Black person she doesn't have as much in common with whom she has never met.

I don't have that luxury to not care or not WANT to care.

Just this morning my husband and I were talking about how the conviction and level of hate among some of these people we've seen in pictures is the same level of conviction and hate seen in the pictures from 1957 surrounding the Little Rock Nine.

That was just 60 years ago. Your parents and grandparents are older than 60 years old.  That's not that long ago.

Keep talking.

I Got Time Today

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It's Wednesday.

Sunday was a few days ago.

People are still proud, mad and processing.

This morning, my first call was from someone who is dealing with a co-worker who said some inappropriate ish during a meeting yesterday about the protest about inequality and continued racism in the United States of America.  The person thought they'd handled it but this morning the person gets to their office and the co-worker has left them some printouts of articles supporting the co-worker's misinformed stance on the NFL protestors who took a knee to protest inequality and continued racism in the United States of America.

The person who called me is ready to grab somebody by the collar and drag them down the hall to the parking lot and deliver an Ice Cube from Boyz-N-The-Hood stomp out.

Yesterday, I got a call from someone whose day started in a cab with a driver from another country who opened the conversation with talking about how disrespectful the protestors were.  They corrected what the cab driver wanted to believe the protest was about and then put their earbuds in and checked out of the ride.  Then, they got to their office and a co-worker who was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay below them on the food chain ladder asked if the person watched any football this past weekend since a lot of people were boycotting.  The person didn't have time on Tuesday and attempted to send the co-worker on their way after correcting what the co-worker thought the protest inequality and continued racism in the United States of America was about.  The co-worker tried to slide in the last word about how when you're at work you should do your job and use your time before and after work to protest.

OH...BUT YOU AT WORK, IN MY FACE, TALKING ABOUT IT INSTEAD OF DOING YOUR DAMN JOB!

Another person I know walked into their office and straight up made the announcement that conversation regarding the protests about inequality and continued racism in the United States of America was not something they were going to discuss.  WITH ANYONE.

The NFL protestor I know has been receiving emails and messages from people, IN PRIVATE, in support of his protest against inequality and continued racism in the United States of America.  I just think that is so odd and cowardly, ya know?  You understand, you want to help, but you don't want anyone you know to know that you understand and want to help.

You're going to remain quiet about it in public.

Oh.

Excuse me if I don't feel the sincerity.  

Excuse me if I call bullshit.

EXCUSE ME IF I IDENTIFY HOW MUCH A PART OF THE PROBLEM YOU TRULY, TRULY ARE.

Cuz I got time today.

How are you going to tell the people protesting what the protest is about?  When someone does something, don't you generally ask THEM why they did it so you know for sure?  That's how you remain willfully ignorant by taking the version from the people NOT PROTESTING, FOOL!

I got time today.

Megyn Kelly is getting paid $15 million a year by NBC supposedly after she just had a new show canceled because of ratings.  How in the shit does that mediocre race-baiting nitwit keep being a viable investment???????????  NBC better be glad they have "This Is Us" on their network or I'd never watch NUTTIN on their network again.  NEVER.AGAIN!  

I got time today.

The fire chief who wants the dude in our White House to post snipers and kill the protestors against inequality and continued racism in the United States??????  DUDE REALLY?  I'm so glad your evil azz got fired I might grill today just so I can start a fire in honor of your pink slip.

I got time today.

Sprinkles Cupcake company getting hate mail because they support American's right to protest? DO THEY PROCESS ONLINE ORDERS?  ANY GLUTEN-FREE CUPCAKES?  CAN I PAY FOR A DOZEN OVER THE PHONE AND HAVE A FRIEND PICK THEM UP?

I got time today.  

Kristie Kibbey Etue's post calling us anti-American degenerates from her powerful position as the director of Michigan's po-pos?  Oh really?  That's how you use your voice when you are supposed to be in charge of protecting and serving?  I hope they are calling for your resignation RAT.NAH!  I hope they are lined up outside of your office with signs chanting, "HELL NO!  YOU MUST GO!"

I got time today.

Jerry Jones straight up making it all about him letting ya boy know he can't tell him what to do with his fresh facial, lineup and blue suit?  

NO.JUST.NO.

That was so disrespectful to his players.  I bet they feel like crap being used like that.  Seriously.

I got time today.

Look...Imma say this.  Don't let this situation get you fired but if someone rolls up on you inappropriately at work, correct them calmly and then head to the HR department and let them know you feel threatened by being approached at work.  If your "friend" contacts you in private, talk to them and let them know how you feel.  Make sure you also let them know how their public silence makes you feel too.  If your neighbor stops speaking, screw 'em. If someone threatening says some ish to you in public, gauge your response properly.  Don't get hurt, don't initiate any hurting but if a mofo act like they crazy...

LET 'EM KNOW YOU GOT TIME TODAY.

A little bit of Martin...a whole lot of Malcolm.

What I'm Not Gon' Do #TakeTheKnee

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Remember these riding horses that used to be outside the grocery stores?  Remember begging your mother for a dime or a quarter so you could be entertained by riding a horsey for a few minutes?  I do.  It was the life.  For a few minutes, I was entertained and imagined I was riding in the great Wild West with a big badge on my chest looking for outlaws.  

Hey...I read a lot as a kid.  I had an awesome imagination and my dad had stacks and stacks of Louis L'amore westerns.

Yesterday, across the country, and across the pond, NFL athletes used their American right to protest peacefully against injustice and continued racism in the United States of America. One of the players was someone near and dear to me and my chest swelled with pride as he knelt knowing his kneeling was taking a stand for those who sometimes feel they don't have a voice to help them.  On his Facebook page the comments came rolling in and it was indeed a sight to see the same people who'd love him at the start of the game now all with the same mantra of basically...since he's a multi-millionaire who plays football, he needs to stand for the anthem and shut up or be fired. AND HE NEEDS TO DO WHAT THEY SAY NOW, RIGHT NOW.

Oh.

I looked up other players who'd participated in the peaceful protest against injustice and continued racism in the United States of America and the same rhetoric was there for all the world to see.  Like...these people took the masks off.  The players were called ignorant n-words, monkeys who play a child's game, uneducated gorillas who don't deserve to live in this country, etc.  They equated their peaceful protest against injustice and continued racism in the United States of America to these players disrespecting fallen soldiers who died for their right to protest peacefully.

Oh.

These people made their peaceful protest against injustice and continued racism in the United States of America about what THEY wanted to make it about with an arrogance disregarding the truth that is astonishing in how fast it spread.  Like wildfire.

Just burned through all in its path.

All of this was par for course until I noticed a comment from someone I knew on his page.  Two comments from the same person.  I sat back and processed it.  Then I took a screengrab and sent it to her via messenger.  I let her know how surprising it was to see her comments and even more surprising that she felt it was something she couldn't discuss with me directly since her comments showed she was wrong about what the protest was about.

So apparently, the peaceful protest against injustice and continued racism in the United States of America has "taken away football" for many Americans because a player needs to just shut up and play football.  They think the players are like that horse.  Like they aren't even human. They drop in a coin and get entertained and when the players aren't entertaining them, they should just sit still and say nothing until the button is depressed again that allows them to get to entertaining. Like they don't have family and friends who aren't dealing with injustice and unfairness daily.  Like they aren't educated.  Like they aren't working in their communities attempting to affect change with programs, their voice, events, etc.

Like they are inanimate objects without feeling no matter the size of their bank accounts.

The opposite of a peaceful protest is civil war right?  I mean...do these people want folks to get their Boston Tea Party on again?  Should we start dropping our tax dollars into the middle of the ocean or something instead of paying our taxes?  What do you suggest be done?  And who do you think you are even thinking that you should be able to tell someone that their time and place is not the right time or place?  

I mean really.

So...the person I knew doubled down and I said what I had to say and then told her goodbye.  And I meant that.  Cuz what you NOT gon' do is disrespect someone near and dear to me for exercising their rights as an American.

And...

WHAT I'M NOT GON' DO is let you think, for a second, that our country doesn't have some serious work to do in areas of race. 

WHAT I'M NOT GON' DO is let you think you can skin and grin in my face while you are supporting a man who called violent Nazi protesters, in 2017, very fine people but peacefully protesting men, sons of bitches. 

WHAT I'M NOT GON' DO is let you railroad a movement by swearing you know what it's "really" about when it has been spelled out for you what it is actually about time and time again.  You don't want equality for all because it makes you feel oppressed.  

Oh.

Let the peaceful protests continue.  As Americans.  It is their right.

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Black Santa

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This is my oldest bit of holiday decor.  I recently fixed the scratches and many of the missing pieces and put him out as I do every.single.Christmas.  There was such an uproar about Santa being Black in the mall recently that it made me scratch my head.  Santa isn't real so um...Santa can be whatever skin color we want him to be.  Santa has always been Black to me as he has always been representative of our family.  No biggie right?  Right.  Christmas is inclusive so make it as personal as possible.  All that good magic just floating around?  Put it to your own family magical use.  

Too many people out here showing their azz for no reason.  Don't be an azz showing dummy.

And be happy.

Shit.