Level Setting

 I am an inconsistent writer. 

I could point to many reasons but, why bother it is a fact and I own it.  

I will say this however, the election results in 2016 knocked the wind out of me; that election laid me flat, and all my energy went to making it through the next four years.  That fateful election night around 11 pm I went to sleep  hoping and praying Hilary would pull it out.  Then, 3 am the next morning my phone rang, it was my daughter fighting hard not to go into an all out panic attack. Her anxiety was at 9.99. trump had won, he would be the next president and, for a moment time stood still. In an instant the world changed.  

The day following the election I sat in my office with a co-worker; we cried. We cried because we were old enough to remember what life was like in the 40's, 50' and 60's. We are close enough to remember what life was like for people of color in this country under the laws of segregation and Jim Crow.  We knew the civility that folks seemed to practice even if they didn't believe in it would become the anomaly.  

trump during his campaign unleashed an emboldened form of hate that was not only accepted but hailed. As a result of his ignorant rhetoric, political positions and baseless lies as well as  his base supporters and their beliefs words like misogyny, xenophobia, racist/racism, sexism and neo-nazi would become part of our every day vocabulary. Our world and our politics which were by no means perfect leading to this moment and at times were polarizing were manageable. And managing in such an environment was not exactly the best of worlds but it was a landscape that was familiar and could be navigated. 

The top would be blown off this country and, for as much hate as we faced, there was a fire being lit. Activism was being (re) ignited. And amid all the turmoil of  unarmed Black men and women being killed in the streets Black Lives Matters strengthend and grew and folks of color would decide we didn't want the old "normal". We would no longer except the status-quo of working twice as hard for half as much.  Sorry but we will no longer be sorry.  While neo-nazi militia groups were growing and by Homeland Security standards would become the biggest threat to the United States outweighing the Taliban, people of color, LGBTQ+. women and our allies would organize forming and raising voices and votes.  A new type of politician would gain traction  and "The Squad"  would emerge.  Four congresswomen Reps. Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley along with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would prove to be a force on the Hill.  Stacy Abrams would become synonymous with voter rights and,women of color through Ms Abrams' leadership and tenacity would literally change long held political seats from red to blue.

Within days of that election being called when donald trump was elevated to the highest position of power and leadership in our country and the world, you could feel the air shift and not for the better.  

Over the next 4 years we would be rudderless. More to come.