Black By The Grace Of God

To the woman that inspired countless girls and people of color, we will never forget you.

You will always be in our hearts.

Thank you for going where no woman had gone before.

Nichelle Nichols 1932- 2022

Make sense of this for me (x)

On this day, 16 October 1968, Black sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their gloved fists in a Black power salute during the playing of the US national anthem as they were awarded gold and bronze medals at the Olympics. Smith would later clarify: “I wore a black glove to represent social power or Black power; I wore socks, not shoes, to represent poverty; I wore a black scarf around my neck to symbolise the lynching, the hangings that Black folks went through while building this country.” Following the protest, they were largely ostracised by the US sporting establishment. While Time magazine now considers their picture of the event as the most iconic photograph of all time, back then they wrote: “‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’ is the motto of the Olympic Games. ‘Angrier, nastier, uglier’ better describes the scene in Mexico City last week.” Back home, both Smith and Carlos were subject to abuse and they and their families received death threats. The Australian athlete Peter Norman, the other man on the podium, also showed solidarity with the protest wearing an 'Olympic Project for Human Rights’ badge in protest of his government’s 'White Australia’ policy. He too would also be reprimanded by his nation’s Olympic authorities and was not picked for the following Olympic games - although it is disputed whether this was as a consequence of his stand in Mexico. After Norman’s sudden death in 2006, Smith and Carlos helped carry his coffin and delivered eulogies at his funeral. https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.1819457841572691/1832092303642578/?type=3

He just casually gave us like 20 gems. It's the graceful intent of black poets that keeps oral history of our people going.

[Transcript:

Well, you know, the—the—the catch phrase, what that was all about, "the revolution will not be televised," that was about the fact that the first change that takes place is in your mind. You have to change your mind before you change the way you live and the way you move. So when we said that the revolution will not be televised, we were saying that like... that—that—that the thing that's going to change people... is something that no one will ever be able to capture on film. It will just be something that you see and all of a sudden you realise, "I'm on the wrong page," or "I'm on the right page but I'm on the wrong note. And I've got to get in sync with everyone else to understand what is happening in this country." But I think that the Black Americans have been the—the only real die-hard Americans here, because we're the only ones who... who carried the process through the process, that everyone else has to sort of like... skip stages. We're the ones who marched, we're the ones who carried the bible, we're the ones who carried the flag, we're the ones who tried to go through the courts, and—and—and being born American didn't—didn't seem to matter. Because we were born Americans but we still had to fight for what we were looking for. And we still had to go through those challenges and those processes.]

Black kids deserve to be treated like kids.

Black kids deserve to be able to grow up at their own pace instead of being held to adult standards as children.

Black kids deserve to grow up without fear that white adults will somehow feel “threatened” by them and make them suffer for it.

Black kids deserve a safe place to unload their thoughts and feelings without being belittled or punished for it.

Black kids deserve a support system.

Black kids deserve to be taken seriously.

Black kids deserve to take up space.

Everything I’ve BEEN saying!

In many cultures, ethnic groups, and nations around the world, hair is considered a source of power and prestige. African people brought these traditions and beliefs to the Americas and passed them down through the generations.

In my mother’s family (Black Americans from rural South Carolina) the women don’t cut their hair off unless absolutely necessary (i.e damage or routine trimming). Long hair is considered a symbol of beauty and power; my mother often told me that our hair holds our strength and power. Though my mother’s family has been American born for several generations, it is fascinating to see the beliefs and traditions of our African ancestors passed down. We are emotionally and spiritually attached to our hair, cutting it only with the knowledge that we are starting completely clean and removing stagnant energy.

Couple this with the forced removal and covering of our hair from the times of slavery and onward, and you can see why so many Black women and men alike take such pride and care in their natural hair and love to adorn our heads with wigs, weaves, braids, twists, accessories, and sharp designs.

Hair is not just hair in African diaspora cultures, and this is why the appropriation and stigma surrounding our hair is so harmful.

Angela Davis, The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, (2011)

Bonus:

The way this makes me wanna cry...

Genuinely, I beat myself up for having a non productive day. We take so much for granted.

[Image Description]

The images in the first post are a series of three tweets by detransitioned transsexual (@churchcunt) dated 6:21 AM, 3/3/21. They read:

I’d like to believe my ancestors dreamed of leisure and pleasure. When we lift up academia and corporate aspirations as our ancestors wildest dreams we do their imaginations a disservice. I don’t think people who were forced to work day in and day out dreamed about getting a job.

I think they dreamed about smoking. I think they dreamed about having consensual sexual encounters. I bet they dreamed of a world where their families weren’t ripped apart and they were immersed in community. I bet they dreamed about cooking for themselves, farming for themselves

I think the more we align with that we’ll be living our Ancestors were and for us. Forget capitalism, forge community.

The second post is a screenshot of a twitter post by pie (@KeNaiyaa) that has been placed inside a yellow border with figures in each corner. The yellow border is tagged with @geecheeexperience. The figures are two black women and two black men in various poses of rest and relaxation, including lying down asleep, leaning against a pillow, reading in a comfortable chair, and listening to headphones while leaning against a pillow. The tweet reads:

One of your ancestors wildest dreams was being able to rest. Sit down today. Take a nap.

[End ID]

31% of black renters are facing eviction as the CDCs eviction moratorium is being overturned. 31% of black renters are behind on their rent in stark contrast with only 12% of white renters being behind on their rent and facing eviction if the DOJ doesn’t maintain this hold. This is what structural racism looks like.

Speaking of which, the number one thing that I get asked for help with when applying to our Black Covid Relief Fund is for help with Rent. These are often big numbers.

We’re doing a pull tomorrow if you wanna donate.

Cashapp: $honeebunnie (Honey G)

PayPal: pinned on page