"All My Life I had to Fight"
Said Black Women Everywhere
We all remember that famous line from Sophia in "The Color Purple."
“All my life, I had to fight.”
It's been playing on repeat in my head this week as I fight the emotions that come with what these pasty white boys in the current administration are putting us through.
I’m not a political writer or an expert on anything except myself, but damn it! My life becomes more political every day. I want to write about sunshine, flowers, the ocean, love, and kindness. But these mothaf*#kas…
I get pissed off every time I think about them adding one more thing to my plate.
My heart sinks into my stomach every time I read a headline that carries the unwarranted pain we're being subjected to.
I’m gonna need to adjust my medication the way this sh*t is hitting me. Or maybe I need some new gummies.
I don’t know anyone personally who has said they’re sorry about their vote or for not voting at all, that this is not what they expected. Cause it’s damn sure what I expected!
Do you know anyone who regrets their vote? Please send them this post!
It doesn’t feel like there’s any place to put this pain. Black women have been carrying pain in various forms for our entire lives. This pain is a particular punch in the gut because we could have had a black woman in charge who would have prevented some of what we’re going through. But nooooo! They’re all still too angry from the time we had a black man in charge.
Mass deportations
I live in Central Texas. I hate it here, but I’m caught up in family obligations I can’t walk away from…yet. Twenty minutes from my house, in a residential neighborhood, an ICE Detention Center has been erected without notifying residents beforehand.
When I discovered it, I first thought about the young man from Venezuela we met a few months ago at the local diner. As he cleared our dishes, he told us he was so happy to be here, working, and able to go to the grocery store where food was on the shelves. A simple thing that Americans take for granted. A simple thing that is not promised where his family still lives. The stores there look like ours do when a storm comes, and everyone buys all the milk and bread until the shelves are empty. He was grateful to work at a job that most Americans would never consider.
Diversity, Equity, and bullshit.
Although black people seem to be deemed the poster children for the current administration's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion branding, it's not only about us. This attempted erasure will affect white women, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ community—and many other marginalized communities. People who want to work hard, mind their own business, and live in peace.
I am a black woman who is sad, angry, and exhausted. Society wants to paint black women with the brush of anger. We are not a monolith, but those of us who are angry have every right to be.
I spent the first half of my life avoiding anger and conflict. I wanted to be "liked" and accepted as a girl with dark skin and a wide nose. We never forget the sting of middle school "mean girls" who label us with hateful, destructive words and name-calling. It’s only in hindsight that I now realize just how damn cute I was in middle school.
I didn't develop a true sense of anger until late in life when I woke up and realized I had enough of being taken for granted for all that I had been doing for years while receiving very little in return. For years, I said "yes" before considering whether or not it was something I truly wanted to do—without considering my needs and feelings.
Why am I angry now? Let me count the reasons. I could keep you here all day.
I've been fighting for my black and autistic sons their entire lives. They are 25 and 29, and the fight isn’t over. They are trying to find their footing as adults. That just became hard to the fourth power.
I am angry that my family is more vulnerable in this America. We are not protected because our skin is brown. Life as we knew it and hoped it would be has been added to my list of things I must fight for.
Black women didn’t create this mess. We offered to clean it up before YOU made it, and y’all f*@#ed us over. You know if I’m talking to you.
Now, they are barraging us with nonsense. "Flooding the Zone," hoping we will be distracted, tired, and disengaged from the fight. We can't afford to disengage completely. We have too much to lose.
Thank you, !
Dear Sensitive Souls,
I am you, and you are me. As empaths, we must care for ourselves first and foremost. We have to protect our energy to fight this onslaught of oppression with intention. We can’t take on every fight.
In this fight, we must do whatever is within our power, level of interest, or expertise. However, limits and boundaries should be set when using social or traditional media.
Instead of following everyone and everything, find a few trusted sources of information. I follow Representative Jasmine Crockett, AOC, and Jessica Yellin, of
. I listen directly to Congressional hearings on C-SPAN. I don’t need the spin from pundits and traditional media.I don’t consume anything news-related before bedtime. I can’t afford to be fixing the government in the middle of my sleep.
We can't afford to overconsume. It will take us out.
Keep your power for the battles you want to fight.
Dear Paid Subscribers,
Your support means the world to me. Thank you! You make me feel valued for my work. I raised three sons, two who are autistic, full-time, while losing parts of myself. You are helping me live my dream of being a paid author. I appreciate you beyond measure.
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The rules you shared with us are good for everyone. We all need them.
I appreciate so much the words of the Black women I am reading on Substack.
Thank you.
Thank you. Some of the most energy and inspiring words these last couple of weeks have come from Black women because, as you mention, they have already learned to fight. I also have an autistic child. Now with the possible dissolution of Department of Education, people like her are going to see their support and rights go away, too.