Hey, dear friends. I hope you are all well and safe and taking care of yourselves. I know it feels like the world is exploding, but I want to take a moment to remind everyone—especially my fellow Black folk—to take care of yourself, both physically and mentally.
The past week and a half, two weeks have been particularly stressful for me as a Black American individual. Hell, the past lifetime has been stressful and difficult for any and every person who is African/African Diaspora. It’s so hard for me to put my feelings into words, not because I’m at a loss for words, but because I have so many words and emotions to get out that it seems impossible to do so coherently. Most of all, I’m tired. I’m just so very tired.
I’m still gathering myself, but in the midst of doing so, I wanted to take a moment to say the following:
I am a Black woman, point blank, period.
If you do not support Black Lives Matter or support it but only with caveats, get off my blog and unfollow me on all other platforms.
If you do not support ALL Black people—and I do mean ALL—including but not limited to:
- Black people of all skin tones, from dark skinned to light skinned to fair skinned
- Black people of all income levels, from low income to middle income to high income
- Black people of all education levels (regardless of age)
- Black people who you feel are “loud” or “aggressive”
- Black people who are currently or have previously been incarcerated
- Black members of the queer community
- Black disabled people (neurodiverse and mental health disorder inclusive)
- Members of literally any African/African diaspora group including (but not limited to) African, biracial/multiracial Black, Black American, Black NDN/Black Indigenous, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, Afro-Canadian, Black Europeans, African Diaspora Australian/Kiwi, Black Asian, etc.
get off my blog and unfollow me on all platforms.
If you want to get online and cry big ol’ boo hoo White person tears about all the “hate” and “bullying” you claim you’re seeing all over when in actuality all us Black folk are simply calling people out for anti-Black racist tendencies or straight-up anti-Black racism, get off my blog and unfollow me on all platforms. Because, lord knows, I certainly ain’t following your ass anymore.
And if you think supporting Black Lives Matter is a “political stance” and you don’t want to “talk politics,” get off my blog and unfollow me on all platforms.
I also expect to see y’all supporting Black folks not just in the moment and not just where moments of anti-Black violence come to the forefront of public knowledge, but long-term and with genuine interest. It is, to put it mildly, upsetting to see that it takes acts of anti-Black violence to get many people to acknowledge that Black folks and our endeavors even exist, and that’s all I’m gonna say on that.
I do not and will not tolerate hate or half measures or, for that matter, White tears or performative allyship. This is a line in the sand and I will not tolerate it being crossed.
I expect y’all, as individuals, to do better.
I expect us, as a community and as a society, to do better.
I expect everyone, as a world, to do better.
Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
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