It’s racism, stupid.
Since our ancestors were kidnapped and enslaved in America, Black women have been forced to find a way to live in, and with, the very society that enslaved us. To find a way to live with, and fight, the status quo of systemic racism. And, to make the best of it, to endure and strive.
Black women historically cared for the offspring of white slavers, while being raped to produce more property, for the same white slavers. This was life for millions of human beings, for hundreds of years in America. This is the starting point for millions of Black women in America…property. Yet, I hold hope that we will progress from property to President, someday.
Watching the anti-democratic actions of the current Trump administration is unnerving, not unexpected. 92% of Black women told our fellow citizens this would happen. But, folks chose to ignore our salient warnings.
Kamala Harris was up against a white South African, who is also the richest person in the world. He bought a blue wall for another white man, who is a felon. She ran against a man who orchestrated a violent coup to over throw America’s democracy, whilst running for President of the United States of America, to avoid criminal prosecution and jail time. Harris also ran against far more insidious elements, like centuries of racism…and sexism.
I’m reminded of Selina Meyer, who said, “Men hate women and women hate themselves.” Of course, Selina Meyer is a fictional character played brilliantly by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, on Veep. Alas, Selina was on to something beyond satire and her insatiable desire to be President. With all of the talk about sisterhood, girl bosses, and the Barbie monologue about how hard it is to be a woman, the majority of white women continued to vote for Republicans…even with control of women’s bodies on the line. Voting rights on the line, democracy on the line, white women still voted for Donald.
So, here we are. Donald and Elon are destroying American democracy generations fought and sacrificed for. All because people were worried about the economy…sure. People were willing to vote for an orange felon, with multiple bankruptcies, over a Black woman with an actual plan, not concepts of a plan. For those who didn’t think Donald would do what he’s doing…where have you been? Tariffs, NATO, the Constitution, personal revenge, buying Greenland, are all things Donald talked about, he told us what he would do. It must be said, America would not be in this crisis if Kamala Harris were President. And here we are, in the midst of madness. But, please don’t get it twisted, I’m not doing the Bobbi Adler, ‘I told you so’ dance. FYI, I love Debbie Reynolds and her dance on Will and Grace.
What lies ahead is dire. By any stretch of the imagine, we cannot ignore how absolutely horrific it is and how much worse, it is about to get. There is no depending on the Republican Party to stand up to Donald. For fuck’s sake recognize that, acknowledge it. Do not fall prey to the pseudo democratic sisterhood that crosses Party lines now. That is no more. It is gone. Roe is gone. Look at Lisa Murkowski and Joni Ernst…they voted for Donald and the majority of Donald’s cabinet, they are examples of actions not aligning with words. The faux fraught public play, of pretending to care about a democratic decision is over with Republicans – they’ve downloaded Donald and the program is running. MAGA malware has infected and taken over the GOP. The Grand Old Party has become another thing Donald is selling along with Bibles and beachfront property in war ravaged countries.
The glass is breaking but, it’s not the glass ceiling…it is an echo from history, it is a night of broken glass a warning from the past, of horror today. We are witnessing the breaking of our fragile glass like democracy. It’s happening now. Antisemitism is on the rise. Racism is on the rise. Yet, all Republicans want to talk about, is how hard it is to be a white guy.
I’m still reeling from America’s reckoning election. Donald won white people, both men and women, and Latino men. We must acknowledge the anti-Black undercurrent and misogyny within Latino communities that exists. Comedy icon George Lopez acknowledged it with stories about his family. This election was more than a hard pill to swallow, it’s a wake up call, that regardless of Black women’s steady push for progress, for all people – in the end, y’all chose a racist to follow.
All the finger pointing and blame, fall short as America must look at itself and acknowledge its original sin. Racism. A nation built on genocide and slavery has advanced, however, not beyond the fear and fragility of the country’s white majority.
Funny how so called alpha white males are afraid of history, afraid of historical facts about this country. Funny how when slavery is discussed, their first go to is, “everybody owned slaves.” Our fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters died for this country. We love America too. However, it seems that some of you just can’t handle, that Black women were foundational to building this country, and our blood is in America’s soil too. A blood bank of bravery and full of horrors, so intensely horrible, Republicans refuse to teach it, learn about it, or call it by its name.
All the screams of, DEI, don’t mother fucking fly. Black women have always been on the “outside looking in.” Our equality was still being fought for, when the country voted Donald in – throwing away all of the progress made before – out with the trash, tossed in America’s garbage bin of lynched dreams, Bible schemes, and Greenwood ash.
I’m done shedding tears for people who don’t see my dignity, because they are too busy complaining, about not getting into, Harvard or rainbows at Target. Fuck that and the woke mind virus too. The richest man in the world is from South Africa, well ain’t that a bitch. Apartheid rule, he thinks it’s cool, as effective as Jim Crow, what a tool.
As far as the American dream goes…Black women were just now starting to get a glimpse into that dream – earning degrees, owning homes, and control over our bodies. Bodies that were purchased on auction blocks and sold for parts. Bodies that come in all shades and variety. Bodies that if they are dark, must work even harder, just to get in – no matter your diction, higher education, way of worship, or political win. It’s tougher for a dark skin girl in this world. I’m not making this up, ask any dark body – you don’t have to believe me, just look it up.
Listening to people bitch and moan because they didn’t get every fucking thing they wanted in the choice of candidates. Are you kidding me. Do you think when Black women were finally allowed to vote, we got every fucking thing we wanted in the candidates we voted for? Hell no. But we voted. We did what was best for our country and our communities, we don’t have the luxury to just, not vote. Or worse, protest vote. Do you think Black women don’t know what it’s like to see our people murdered? To see our communities destroyed? To see our wages not rise? Do you think we don’t know what it’s like to be left behind, while others advance? Do you think we don’t know how hard it is to stretch a dollar? Do you think Black women don’t know how dangerous it is to be pregnant? Do you think Black women don’t worry about our safety?
Who looks out for us? Who protects us? Who listens to us? Who fights for us? Black women do all those things for everybody else. We look out for you, listen to you, fight for you. Yet, when it truly mattered…when an election was actually make or break for all of us – most of y’all didn’t even bother to show up. You punked out with your privilege and voted for a man who doesn’t care about you. But, he knows America’s original sin very well, because he benefits from the sin too.
When America faces any period of fiscal hardship, it always hits Black women the hardest. Oh and yes, I’m extremely thankful for being allowed to earn a living, even if my pay is not on par with my white sisters…who continue to play both victim and villain in America based on how they feel. I’m over the pseudo sisterhood. I’m done with thinking we are in this fight together, when in reality, white women are still fighting us too. Alas, this seems to be changing, because the orange man they voted for, is screwing them over too.
Having to deal with racism and sexism, while also having to smile, be smart, be uber grateful, and be mistake free, and have decorum, is fucking exhausting…it is soul sucking. Watching our culture and flow, get hijacked by hubris hypocrites, who love our full lips, our sway, and our style, all while fucking our brothers. I’m not talking about sex, I’m talking about calling the police on a brotha bird watching. While telling us, “Be patient, your equality is just going to take a while.” Having to be qualified beyond qualified, to get any kind of job. Being visceral vetted, whether we have good or bad credit, just to get the door of opportunity, ajar.
I am over being told, I’m not grateful enough. Not appreciative enough for all the progress made by the the local liberal or conservative, who wants to feel better about themselves. I’m done with white people and people of color who are not Black, working their shit out on Black women. I’m over having to constantly navigate the mind field of ego and emotion that permeates a playing field that my people were only allowed to pick cotton on, not count on.
This election was not an economic decision. Look at what Donald is doing to the economy. Least we forget, Black people are working class people too. Not all Black people hold degrees. Working class is not only white people. Voting is feeling, and the majority of America, didn’t feel like seeing us. But, now, all of America is feeling the pain of racism. No Black person, especially not a Black woman, would ever…ever, ever, ever, ever, be allowed the space to do any of the things Donald is doing. Ever.
This was a race about race…and gender. Seems that a lot of people want to direct blame at the Black woman…the most consistent, acceptable, and popular scapegoat in America. When in doubt, blame a Black woman. In a bind – blame a Black woman and you will get peace of mind.
I know we can’t fall to despair. We have to pick ourselves up, find a way to keep going. We must be spirited in our innovation, astute, and resourceful. I have to let my light lead me, let light be my fuel, as I hold hope, that one day, I’ll get my 40 acres, and a fucking mule. Find a way to function. ‘Cause oh dear God forbid, that in America, a Black woman, has anything other than gumption.
Okay, glad I got that out, now I feel better. Well, 3/5 of me does.
So, come on women, of all colors and hues. Let’s work together to stop these bigoted billionaire boys from fucking us over and let’s save democracy too.
For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us to temporarily beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change. Racism and homophobia are real conditions of all our lives in this place and time. I urge each one of us here to reach down into that deep place of knowledge inside herself and touch that terror and loathing of any difference that lives here. See whose face it wears. Then the personal as the political can begin to illuminate all our choices.
Audre Lorde