Category Archives: social topics

solidarity with communities of color 

Issues that plague communities of color* really affect the nation as a whole. While issues negatively affect communities of color, white communities are benefiting from these practices (known as the concept of white privilege). I believe that with white privilege comes white ignorance, about issues that affect other people. In addition to this, it is a popular belief that you have to be affected by these issues to stand up against them. This is not true. There are ways that white people can help communities of color and I want to talk about them.

  1. Get rid of the white savior complex– Yes I know communities of color have their own struggles that white Americans do not have to face. But that does not make us less than you. All that means is that we need more resources to help ourselves. Which is natural, because after hundreds of years of not having access to resources, there will be a need for more. If you choose to help communities of color, you have to remember that you’re not saving them, you’re just helping them do what they were already doing. All too often the white savior complex is displayed in media- the one white person enters a community and fixes everything. This is not true. My dad always says “We don’t need saviors, we need servants.” You have to be willing to help the cause, but just know you’re ONLY helping.
  2. Make friends- Because of segregation, it can be easy to only have friends that look just like you. This is not coming to help people. You need to make friends with people to understand what is truly going on. Friends talk about things that matter. There is a complex that many white people have that if something is different, the other person is required to explain it. This is not true. Being friends with someone means that you respect them, their ideas and their culture. If you are truly friends with someone, you will understand how they were raised and what things make them them. Remember to just keep an open mind. People of color are people too, and deserve to be respected.
  3. Get involved (in your local community!)– Believe it or not, there are issues in the community you live in! Just because you’re not affected by them in a negative way doesn’t mean they don’t exist! Going to Haiti to help children is helpful, but it is not going to fix the problems that are going on in your local “ghetto”**.
  4. Research and fact check!!!– What you read on the internet may or may not be true. Fact check. Look across multiple sources and figure out what is the same. And look across good sources, like scholarly papers. Talk to professors and other people. Figure out if what you’re reading is true. Be open to being wrong and understand that the way you view society may not be the way it is for other people. Be open.

Last but not least, leave your biases at the door! What you think you know about us is false! 

These are just a few tips that I believe will help change the world. But please understand that by helping communities of color you are embarking on a mission that will change your life for the better. We need helpers and can always use your help!

*As a black woman, I cannot speak on other communities of color. I just understand what goes on in my community and that these issues affect other communities of color.

**ghetto- according to Merriam Webster Dictionary a ghetto is: a quarter of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure.

i am not your negro- movie analysis

Today I went to see my first movie by myself. I’ve gone tons of places alone, but never to the movies. I knew nothing about the movie, but the title intrigued me. I loved it. It was about James Baldwin, an African-American poet (and author). Baldwin had written, argued and explained the issues that plagued the black community during the sixties. The movie was based off of his unfinished book “Remember This House” The movie examined the lives of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers, in order to explain black issues. It had clips from movies, police brutality videos, and literally everything in between. I cannot describe this movie in words, because there are no words to describe it besides powerful. I particularly liked one part of the movie. It was a clip of Baldwin explaining why he generalizes white people. I wish I remembered the exact words because his response was perfect. Basically he said that he does not know the feelings of individual white Americans, but he knows the institution they have created. A few times recently, I have been told that I generalize white America and that by doing so I might “offend” people, and quite frankly I was told that I offend her, that I make people uncomfortable and that I need to watch what I say so that I don’t offend people. It is not my goal to do this. It is simply that I cannot personalize the actions that have been done. In my mind, personalizing it is justifying it. I just try to discuss things so that hopefully, one day change will come. My goal is that I will inspire thought, which will lead to action. All in all, I definitely suggest seeing the movie, because it was amazing.

#hurtbae

So for those of you that don’t know, Hurt Bae was a short film produced by The Scene. Attached I have the YouTube link, if you haven’t seen it. I just wanted to write a review, as the video relates a lot to the stuff I blog about. Basically it was about  Kourtney and Leonard, a couple, who broke up because of cheating. It was hard for me to watch, because I could see in her eyes how much she loved him, and I could see how much he didn’t care. What really hit me was when he asked her why she forgave him for cheating, she said it was because he’s her best friend. I truly believe love is pure and unconditional, and that’s why she forgave him. And forgiving is important, but she shouldn’t have went back. You have to be selective with who you love. People who respect you and love you back deserve your love. But you also have to love yourself. Define your self-worth. You deserve to be happy and in a healthy loving relationship. Even if at this point in your life you don’t want a relationship, you still deserve to be happy. You deserve to be surround by love. Self-love is a journey, so I can understand why she would go back. I can understand that she wouldn’t want to be alone. But you have to understand that being alone is okay. All too often people have not created the peace within themselves to be alone. Being alone is healthy and you have to get used to it. Even if you’re married, sometimes you’ll be alone cause your spouse won’t be there. Define your self worth and love yourself enough to make sure you can be happy. You deserve peace, love and happiness. I hope, that if Kourtney reads this she’ll understand that when you love someone, you have to still love yourself the most. You have to give up toxic relationships to live a healthy life. I hope you all also understand the importance of putting yourself first. Because at the end of the day, no one has your back like you can. 

#hurtbae

Purity

sex is not a topic of discussion for my blog. I just wanted to touch on something that I think is really important. The most important relationship you have in live is with yourself. With this in mind it is important to understand what types of relationships you want to have. You have the right to have whatever type of relationship you want. The main thing is that the relationship is healthy, loving and honest. Normally when people talk about virginity and the “importance” of purity, it is to shame women. Besides the fact that the concept of virginity is made up (because a hymen can break without sex), humans are naturally sexual beings. I’m saying all of this to say- do what makes you happy. life is about being happy and doing things that make you happy. for some that means having sex, some that doesn’t, some want to wait until marriage. Whatever makes you happy is the most important thing. No one has the right to tell you how to live your life or what you should do with your body. it’s your choice and your life. just remember to love yourself the most and make smart decisions. if you want to be “pure”, go ahead. if you don’t, then go ahead. another important thing to think about is judging others. everyone is on a different life path, to learn lessons that they need to learn. With this being said, no one has any right to judge anyone. everything in life happens for a reason. remember that life is meant to be fun and to do things that make you happy. it’s your body- make your decisions based off of your desires! treat yourself. you deserve it!

black lives matter (shaun king)

Yesterday I had the privilege to listen to Shaun King speak. For those of you that aren’t in the know, Shaun is one of the prominent voices in the Black Lives Matter movement and an activist. We (Katie and I) both enjoyed his presentation. Attached I have some videos, but I just really wanted to talk about some important things he discussed.

  • People confuse the steady progression of technology with the steady improvement of humanity

Shaun explained that throughout history, humanity has had it’s ups and downs. Many people believe that humanity is improving, but that is not necessarily true. There have been events throughout history (such as slavery and the Holocaust) that show that humanity progresses then it digresses and it’s a cycle.

  • We are living in a pivotal historical moment

In 2016, one hundred and two unarmed black men, women and children were killed. The last time that this many unarmed black people were killed was in 1902, during Reconstruction (during this period the KKK was formed and lynchings were very popular).

  • After the introduction of innovation, there is a dip

In 2008, history was made. Senator Barack. H Obama become the 44th (and 1st African-American) President. As a result, there has been backlashing (resulting in the election of Donald Trump). This has happened throughout history. Shaun gave another example of this happening- after the Civil Rights Movement, mass incarceration was created, resulting in the unnecessary arrests and prolonged jail sentencing for black males.

 

All in all, Shaun was everything I expected and more. He’s intelligent and an excellent speaker. I hope you enjoy the following videos and share these concepts with your friends. And remember- change is gonna come.

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