Silent Complicity

When United States citizens demonstrated they were okay with children being slaughtered in schools, the gun lobby was emboldened, and we have had mass shooting after mass shooting ever since.

When trump became the racist voice of America his believers fell in line and took on the mantle of his demented agenda, an insurrection attempt followed and even now with all his crimes and his documented commitment to ruling as a dictator he is still the republican front runner for president.

When cops in this country realized they can kill Black children, women and men with little to no meaningful consequence, living while Black is officially a health hazard.

When women exercised their voices and chose to control their reproductive rights, the ultra conservative supreme court appointed by trump took those basic human rights away.

When Black folks started voting and showed we can make a difference in outcomes the move to suppress the Black vote and gerrymander voting districts took on a whole new life of their own.

When white folks became uncomfortable with their children learning the racist history that some of them and their ancestors participated in, they have been working tirelessly to rewrite history – slavey was a career development move. And what they can’t rewrite or white wash they work to ban teaching at all levels of education.

When folks took a stand to live their lives as their true selves the conservatives decided the LGBTQ+ community should not have that right and moved to ban treatments, crminalized their sexuality and rolled back their civil rights.

When it appeared that the playing field might eventually become level for non-white folks and women, war was waged on affirmative action and the supreme court took the first step by dismantling affirmative action in the college entrance process even though at least one supreme court justice clearly and directly benefited from the program.

When women and specifically a Black woman took on the leadership roles of "elite" white universities they were dragged before congress on the pre-tense of anti-semitism. And when the Black president of Harvard survived the attack from the rich white conservative whose life mission is to return Black folks “to their place” waged on under the pretense of plagiarism which by the way Harvard had already investigated and cleared her of any wrong doing.... and even the attackers wife a former MIT professor clearly committed and was charged with plagiarism and oh, also had a connection with epstein (he donated $$$ to her lab and she provided him with a sculpture) but that was all money washed and disappeared.....

And when it seemed as a country that we had hit rock bottom and we could not go any lower the United States, Joe Biden specifically who has pledged unwaivering support to zionist israel for decades and even undermined Obama's peace efforts in the region while throwing Hillary under the bus outwardly and singularly is supporting Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinians. In 90 days beginning October 7, 2023 over 22,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered with upwards of 70% being children and women. This is in response to a terrorist attack that took place that day that killed 1200 Israelis and brought into world view the fact that Palestinians have been living under apartheid and oppression for 76 years. Banned from living and moving freely in their own country.

So. What does this have to do with Black and Brown people in this country (US)? Do you say it is not our business, it is a Middle-Eastern thing. It is not anything that will ever happen here, not in this day and time.

Sit with this for a moment.

Think through what was done to the indigenous folks in this country, diminishing their tribal land rights, sovereignty, and having a say in land and resource issues. The same country enslaved Africans to build their country and economy and dehumanized them every chance they had, treating Black human life like chattle. From post Civil War to the 1950s over 100 thriving Black communities in this country were burned to the ground simply for existing and their Black citizens prospering. Once the communities were destroyed their land was illegally appropriated by white folks. 4400 Black folks, men, women and children were lynched in that same period.

Do you see what has happened each time the envelope has been pushed and the morality and humanity is tested... Once they see how far they can go they push to the next level.

Once the genocide in Palestine is accepted and normalized folks supporting these actions will again be emboldened and, if you are a person of color or an ally in this country and you sit in silence as the US supports unencumbered genocide you are complicit in allowing the newest foundation to be set for what these same folks want to carry out here... Next...

Taking Stock

 I am blessed. I have completed 67 revolutions around the sun and God willing I will begin my 68th shorty like literally in 45 mins.  The weird thing is I can still remember turning 16 when getting to my present age wasn't even a thought. This is not one of those let me go back and relive those years with everything I know now moments, those years remain intact and unchanged they were meant to be.  All the years from then to now have formed me and I like who I am. 

I thank God for every adventure, misadventure, unexpected venture and disastrous adventure, I thank Him for every success and every failure and all the ups and downs.  Oh the lessons I have learned. I used to believe that saying "youth is wasted on the young" but youth is exactly what it is supposed to be its own special social experiment. And now, at this age, I have the benefit of understanding somethings you can only get away with when you are young, probably because at that age you are either too naive or too oblivious to have things hit you the way they do as an adult.  As a kid and young adult I never really over thought what may or may not matter but then in my 30's and 40's I was consequence centered stuck on the what ifs.  My 50's were my politically correct era but as I ventured out, experienced my fake single years, lived in different states meeting different folks it all started to clear up for me and when I hit 60 I finally got to the I really don't give a fuck stage of my life.  Don't get me wrong I still care deeply about humanity, treating people well, equality and fairness and all those things but I was finally comfortable enough to do it authentically. The authenticity meant no more code switching, no more dressing a certain way or wearing my hair a certain way because it was expected, no more toeing the line to keep things smooth or thinking/rethinking how to make a statement as to not appear as the angry black woman or aggressive or ghetto. Getting to that point was liberating and I regained some of that youthful just do it or, better yet don't, attitude.  I am just sorry it took so long to reach that point but happy that I got there before leaving the c-suite and the board rooms so the young women of color that I supported and mentored could see it and experience it.  

Physically, mentally and spiritually I am in a good place. I am comfortable and don't feel the need or desire to please folks.  It is not my job to make you feel good. Folks really do need to do that for themselves.  I am who I am and I am  happy, pleased and thankful to begin my 68th revolution around the sun.

Peace.