“My heart is broken for our country, for the hopes of our children, for the fights of those who came before us.
I cry at the thought that Black History, American History might be in vain.
This country has had great moments. God has shined His light upon us.
Today, I hope that Great Moments begin in peaceful & progressive conversation. I am willing to be a bridge. I don’t mind “These Stones”, if they allow me to be a voice for the voiceless.
I am here.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Our lives begin to end, the day we become silent about what matters,”.
I am here, representing you, because this is what matters.” -Chrisette Michele

Hol’ up.

Let me tell you what ya’ll NOT gone do.

You are NOT going use Martin Luther King Jr. as a justification for your tomming. Newp. Not one bit. Martin Luther King Jr. was a social radical, whose methods of nonviolent civil disobedience threatened the racially oppressive infrastructure of the United States, and played a colossal role in dismantling many forms of legislation aimed at the oppression of African Americans. He was far more than a few select choice words on Brainy Quote. And yes, while Martin Luther King adopted the idea of love towards those that hate, he was FAR from complacent. He died for his faith in humanity, and his commitment to the betterment of black lives, poor lives, and other oppressed minorities EVERYWHERE. So to chalk up your interactions with Trump to being only in accordance with the ideologies of Martin Luther King, especially when you’re being paid to do so, or receiving press is attention seeking, and a desecration to his memory. The fact of the matter, is that not Trump, his racist appointed cabinet, nor his volatile rhetoric have done anything to deserve our support, trust, or understanding.

Representation vs. Capitalization

I read a post on a friend’s Facebook page the other day, which in part called on other marginalized people to stop reacting so harshly when a person of color willingly goes to a meeting at Trump Tower, as it should be seen as a brazen attempt to impart the representation so desperately needed in their new President’s eyes. While I agree with the sentiment that discussions involving Trump and people representative of the country he was elected to dictate govern is of the utmost importance, the inescapable fact of the matter is that we haven’t a clue as to what conversations are being held in these celebrity socials. In all of these meetings, the overarching convention is Trump’s eagerness to “Make America Great Again”. What answers have these so-called “messengers” procured in an effort to squelch our unabashed fear? For all we know, they could all be planning reality tv spinoffs, and picking out china patterns to use for the next four years.

Well, I’ve got questions.

1. Jennifer, did you bother to ask if the LGBT people who love you will be protected from violence, before you consented to performing at the inauguration? Watchu doing, Effie? I know you cancelled, but still.
2. Chrisette, did you find out if Trump plans on continuing to sexually assault women? Are we going to be able to continue to use our insurance for birth control? Can we continue to have the right to choose?
3. Steve, did you find out if Trump still intends on trying to make stop-and-frisk a thing again?
4. Ye’ were you too caught up in your own hype, or did you bother to ask Donny about how he intends on helping us out in Chicago, without stripping away our liberties?
5. Mr. King, you know your mother sent a letter to prevent Jeff Sessions, a known racist, from being a federal judge, right? He’s now our Attorney General. Your president did that.
6. Did anyone bother to ask how we can protect our senior citizens, or keep our health insurance?
7. Dat wall doe? Is that really happening? We really plan on kicking out our undocumented peeps?
9. Did anyone speak up for our Muslim brothers and sisters? Nope? K.

Being on the cusp of what is sure to be a tumultuous four years, I can’t help but question the moral compasses of these celebrities. Is this yearning for acceptance under the white gaze, and the unquenchable thirst to cash them Trump checks worth the trouble they cause? Are the pounds of flesh you trade in worthy of the temporary fame a trending topic on Twitter lends you? Yes. Yes, it is that deep. The absolutely most infuriating part of it all, is that though there is some form of payment, be it financial or otherwise, that ya’ll will lie through your teeth and claim Dr. King’s legacy as sanctuary from the betrayal against your own.

So to Chrisette, Steve, Kanye, Jennifer, MLK III, let’s make this plain and clear:

You ARE NOT doing it for the culture.
You DO NOT speak for me.
You AIN’T fooling nobody.
You SHOULD be ashamed of yourselves.

Martin weeps for you.
Happy Caping.

The post Dear Black Celebrities, If You Cape for Trump, Stop Using MLK to Justify Your Betrayal. appeared first on THE 97.

I woke up feeling victimized. I found myself constantly questioning my humanity, and grasping for reasons to stay optimistic. It was a far cry from the jubilance I felt in 2008, when as a 17-year-old girl, I watched the nation elect our first black President. I watched a family confidently strut across the stage in Grant Park here in Chicago, that looked like mine. I was about to go into college, and was incredibly hopeful that I would avoid the struggles that befell my mother, my grandparents, and those that came before them would. I had never been prouder to be an American, and because we had just elected a black man, I figured that all would be lit, and life would be much easier. In the years since, I’ve watched the courts continue to allow the justifed homicides of black men and women with no punishment towards their killers, and have seen little progression of race relations in America. However, I am also well aware that there has been progress in other areas, such as an improving economy, one of the lowest national unemployment rates in decades, universal health care, and legalized same sex marriage. While I realistically didn’t have 100% confidence in Hillary Clinton, I did and still do feel that she was the best representation of a qualified candidate, and would be the best option to continue on where President Obama has left off. If you’d told me that America would be dumb enough to elect Donald Trump, a man with no political experience, and with racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, and misogynistic ideologies, I wouldn’t have believed it in a million years. Yet, here we are. As I watched the results come in, I immediately thought of my mother, who has advanced Multiple Sclerosis, and could very possibly lose her healthcare under a Trump presidency.

On Wednesday, despite the literal physical and emotional pain I felt, I went to work. Throughout my time there, I found commonality and refuge in people who felt as I did, and felt disturbed by people who didn’t. Throughout the course of the day, I went through a gamut of emotions; any one of them that I could have chosen to encapsulate my feelings moving forward. They ranged from anger, to disappointment, hatred, despair, betrayal, and most overwhelmingly, fear. There are some people out here who have really shown their true colors because of this election. They’ve demonstrated a lack of human regard for minorities in favor of excess and selfishness. This isn’t a generalization of the entirety of Donald Trump’s supporters, rather a depiction of a good majority of them. As tempting as it would be to use the rest of this article to express how I feel towards Donald Trump and his supporter, I won’t. Too much energy has been given to them. My focus, is on people like me, my fellow marginalized people who have been flagrantly and unabashedly told that they are unwanted here, but will dig their feet firmly in this American soil and reaffirm their presence. So while there were so many negative emotions that I am struggling to harness in the wake of this week, the one that I am actively choosing to utilize going forward, is love. Not love for this country, but love for those who struggle like I do.

So whether you pray five times a day to the east, or were told that you could pray the gay away, choose love.

Whether your voice is loud, and your mind is sharp, but you were betrayed by your own body, choose love.

Whether you came here in search of a better life, but were treated with intolerance , and felt unwelcome, I urge you to choose love.

And to my brothers and sisters who are constantly finding themselves as trending topics that change, but with stories that remain the same, driving in cars with the constant glare of red and blue in your rear view mirrors, and the constant reminder of oppression lurking at every corner, I urge you to choose love.

So mourn. Be sad. Be angry. Allow yourself to feel all of the emotions that you’re feeling. Hug your babies and let them know it’s okay to be afraid. But eventually, press on. It’s what we do best.

In the words of the incomparable Kendrick Lamar, we gon’ be alright.

Stay woke,

Jordan

The post InFormation: In the Wake of a Terrible Election, Choose Love. appeared first on THE 97.