We Keep Saving Ourselves
Where is our help? Where is are our support system? Every time a black woman decides to put herself on the line and speak out against injustice, we receive nasty backlash as the world goes silent. We don't get protection, support, or anyone to stand up for us whenever we are pushed down. It's sickening and even though we move forward with progression and equality, black women are still at the bottom of the totem pole. This time is no different. We are in the midst of a toxic political climate, and black women are being attacked from all angles. Somehow, we continue to dust ourselves off and fight another day.
We've applauded and mentioned Rep. Maxine Waters several times and it won't stop now. Auntie Maxine has had Trump dead to rights since the day he got elected. She was the only elected official who was brave enough to put her foot down and say "No, I will not accept this man as my president, and I will do whatever it takes to bring him down." It was simple as that. The media ate it up. Auntie Maxine became a viral sensation, but the black women delegation knew she wasn't kidding around and she hasn't let up since. She refuses to back down from these white politicians who want to silence her,. and she gives me hope every time I get weary in this fight for justice.
Recently, Trump and his administration decided to turn their racism up a notch and implemented a zero tolerance policy when it came to immigration. Anyone that was caught entering into the country illegally would be arrested and separated from their children, no matter what the age. It doesn't end there. These children were being kept in dog kennels and laying on the floor with foil blankets. Nobody had words to describe how they felt about this so it was time to start shaking the table. Activists began showing up to places that Trump aides were dining and causing a ruckus. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielson was booed out of a Mexican Restaurant (ironic), Sarah Sanders was asked to leave a restaurant, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was accosted by protesters outside of a coffee shop. Frankly, I don't see the issue. These people continue to implement racist polices so why not make their lives a little less comfortable?
You know who else saw the benefit in this? Auntie Maxine Waters. She encouraged people to starting making this administration uncomfortable. If you see members from Congress or Trump's cabinet out in public, make your voice heard and let them know how you feel. You would have thought that Auntie Maxine had murdered someone from the way everyone reacted. Democrats started clutching their pearls, and Auntie Maxine started receiving death threats of her own. What happened to all that support when she went viral for speaking out? None of her fellow colleagues stepped in to offer support. Instead, they got in front of the media and suggested that she should be quiet and step aside. The only person who seemed to echo her message was Rep. John Lewis who along with Auntie Maxine, is no stranger to this protest life. I can't say that I was shocked but I was. Even Nancy Pelosi stayed silent, but you know, white women. We've seen this so many times where black women make bold statements and are left hanging to dry in the aftermath.
All we have is ourselves. I remind myself of this every time a black woman is publicly shamed for standing up for what is right. We've seen it several times with this administration where public figures like April Ryan, Rep. Frederica Wilson, Jemele Hill, and Angela Rye receive intense backlash when they dare speak out against misogyny and racism. It still stings when I think about how political commentator Symone Sanders was told to shut up on CNN. Yes, that happened. Just today, a California prosecutor was just suspended over his social media posts that asked why Auntie Maxine hadn't been shot yet. Those are the types of threats and harassment that we deal with. Yet, we are still here.
We continue to fight, speak out, march, and fight back against injustice. It's in our nature, and we don 't know anything different. We remain resilient in our weakest moments and continue to give our last even when we don't have it. If the world won't recognize us, at least we can count on other black women doing it. I hope that once the truth of this corrupt administration is exposed that Rep. Maxine Waters will be given the proper recognition. The way things are looking right now, I doubt it.
