Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Things said while standing on my beloved soapbox...

I've been posting some soapbox rants on Facebook, and a friend pointed out that I really should share these here too.

My bad!

*steps up on soapbox*

Yesterday, Black voters in Alabama saved themselves and helped other folk in the process. They did this despite a lack of funding, aggressive outreach, and the protection of a fully enforced VRA. Black voters faced long lines, police intimidation at the polls, the real threat of racist violence, and the reality that this vote won’t magically make all their problems go away.

And I woke up today seeing some on the left already trying to piss in our corn flakes.


Invest in us, fund our work, hire us, listen to us (and that will require some of y’all shutting the fuck up), and know that we know what we are doing and the why and how of it.

If you feel tempted to whitesplain about Alabama today, write a check to Stacey Abrams in Georgia instead.

If you feel the need to rattle off a long list of why the Dems are trash, write a check Reproaction instead! We are a C3, so you need not worry about party politics when you invest in us. *wink*

If you feel the need to book a white person on your show to discuss Alabama or Black voters in general, slap yourselves upside the back of your head. Do it again. Okay, now hand over booking to the sistah on your team who should have your damn job anyway.

If you are not Black but experience the desire to preach a wokeness about Blackness that you do not walk unless it is convenient to your wishes and needs, know that today is not the day.

But most importantly, hush. 

No, really...hush it, now.

Replace every lecture, hot take, “but Dems don’t,” and three paragraph deep bullshit comment with money, jobs, investment, and the deliberate prioritization of the issues Black women care about.

Can’t list any?

Take that as confirmation that you need to hush and start listening.

Got it?

Good.

Have a kick ass day.

And congrats to the folk who got it done in Alabama!

*settles into a sit on soapbox and sips second cup of coffee*

4 comments:

dinthebeast said...

Like I said last night in a comment thread full of trolls, where someone observed "Black women saved the day again!"
I said, "Don't you mean still? Black women are the only reliably sane voters out there, and they are the back bone of the Democratic party."
And you're right, they should be treated as such, along with all of the other basic human decency and respect they seem to be routinely denied.
I have a friend who recently moved back to Alabama where her family lives, and I texted her last night to thank her for electing Doug Jones. She texted back "Damn straight! If not, I was gonna leave this state... and after all I went through to get here."
I was getting anxious when Moore took an early lead, but I calmed right down when they put up the exit polling that said 30% of the turnout were black.
Good to hear from you again.

-Doug in Oakland

sue said...

I would like to re-post this blogpost, with all due credit, but I'm new to this blog and don't know your rules about re-posting. (Actually, I read it on Shakesville, and clicked over to you.)

Shark-Fu said...

Sue, feel free to re-post and share. Thanks for checking!

kenechukwu okpala said...

niceee!!!!

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