COVID, It Ain't Over!

When I wake up on Memorial Day weekend and see that it is 48° outside, I think God is tryna' tell us something about COVID. It ain't over! Slow your roll and stay home! 

Despite the push to tell us otherwise, our thirst to resume normal living is being manipulated in the interest of politics and the Benjamins. It has little to do with protecting us and/or our health. 

It is no coincidence that this relief nor the convenient "gas shortage" arrive just in time for summer and this long awaited holiday weekend. 

Folks understandably were looking to rush to the shore and other parts to enjoy family and friends and kick off summer in a fun way. The merchants, airlines, restaurants and hotels await your dollars. If you know what I believe to be true, you'll take this chilly weekend as a sign to just chill... 

Have fun this summer but with precaution. Still mask up, still practice social distancing, have hand sanitizer in reach and be mindful of not  touching common things in common areas, wash your hands regularly, avoid large crowds especially indoors and don't be hugging and kissing up on one another, especially babies and Granny! A simple hello will do. It ain't personal, it's practical...

This message is for everyone, but if you are not vaccinated, this message is especially important for you. Your vaccinated friends have been encouraged to let their guard down. Receive their less guarded behavior as all the more reason for you to be more guarded...

Just be smart folks! There is nothing magical about sun, summer nor Memorial Day weekend. COVID is alive and well. It ain't over!

A Reckoning on the Murder of America's Truth, George Floyd One Year Later...

One year has passed since the murder of our Brother George Floyd...

One year has passed and already America has soothed and tucked away again her guilty conscience. Already she has changed the focus and narrative of the "uncomfortable", therefore necessary, conversation regarding race as it pertains to Black folks. 

Is the "reckoning" over? Already? Surely not!

No tenure for our Sistah Nikole. 1619 was too credible therefore widely and well received, dispelling fables written about the false truth of America's history that never made sense anyway...

No teaching  Critical Race Theory, which most folks never heard of before they were told to contest it. White America is interested only in diagnosing what is "wrong" in other communities, not her own. Stop that Race Theory talk! We don't want to examine ourselves...

And no more talk about white fragility, white privilege, diversity and inclusion, white supremacy, reparations, removing statues, etc! And leave our "Karens" alone! 

I guess the "reckoning" is over. 

One year later and America has resumed her preferred state of denial. She has eased right back to her preferred comfort level ignoring the elephant in the room. Still, she is not ready to handle her truth. 

In honor of our Brother George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Emmitt Till, Sandra Bland, Breyonna Taylor and far too many others to name who have died at the hands of blatant Anti-Black racism, for which after 400+ years, there is still no bill, we, Black folks, must not allow the conversation about us to be extinguished or converted. It IS all about us! 

There are no civil rights for anyone in America without the blood, sweat, tears, loss of life, wounded dignity and continued exploitation of Black Americans. It is her truth about her greatest and ongoing sins against Black Americans that America fears most in her preferred state of denial...

Show up Black folks and raise your voice today in honor of George. Everyday in honor of all our Brothers and Sisters killed for no damn reason other than for daring to live while Black in America! May they rest in peace. May we be fearless and keep demanding justice and peace! 

If not us to remove the KNEES off our collective neck, then who? 

If not us, then why should anyone else? 

Let not the reckoning be over. We need not be concerned about other people's comfort level regarding conversations about us. Nor do we need anyone else's permission to continue the conversation about us. We get to decide when and if it is over. It ain't over...

Rise up and Lift EVERY voice Black People for we have not overcome...

Rest well My Brother. Rest well...

Silent No More!

Don't be silent!
None of us!
White folks!
Brown folks!
Yellow folks!
But ESPECIALLY Black folks!


None of us can be silent in the face of blatant racism and discrimination no matter who's dishing it out...


Stop calling us people of color and lumping us in some category as though we are comrades or have shared some experience or allegiance to one another. There is nothing further from the truth!


America, you CANNOT address your ills toward nor cancel your debt owed Black Americans by heaping opportunities on white women or others with whom we just happen to share melanin. Skin tone and/or gender is mostly where our sharing or commonalities end...


Black folks are being made more and more peripheral with every passing day as America soothes her conscious avoiding us and any real discussion of race or disruption of racism in her use of terms like diversity and people of color.


Sadly, there is an expectation that Black folks become complicit in the oppression of us when we are relegated to remain silent as our blue print for civil rights is being strategically and systematically employed to exclude or remove us from the table we shed blood to prepare and at which we graciously offered seating to these others who now exploit us and our gains.


It is especially insulting, hurtful if you will, in this time of exaggerated commitment to diversity and inclusion, which was emboldened after the murder of George Floyd. Even now, we are being excluded...

I am Black! Unapologetically and proudly Black. I am NOT BiPOC or any other kind of person of color category that has now been established or decided for me.


My name is Helen Higginbotham and I AM a proud Black Woman! Call me by my name and leave me in my skin when you speak of me. I am quite comfortable there. Let calling me Black roll off your lips until you, too, are comfortable there.


I wear my skin like the badge of honor it is. Don't water me down or dilute my presence in a sea of other faces that just happen to have the blessing of melanin too. I am NOT a "colored person". My elders made that clear in the 60s so don't back door return me to that distinction.


I am Black and wouldn't trade it for ANY other skin color in the world. So say it America and in the spirit of the late Godfather of Soul, James Brown, say it out loud! Black folks are Black and we are proud! We are NOT people of color to be confused or aligned with others so that you can ignore and continue to mistreat and disrespect us...


We will be silent no more, no matter who it makes uncomfortable. Our comfort matters too.


We reclaim the right not to be silent as others co-opt our dream.


We are Black folks and we WILL be speaking up and calling folks out as is necessary and by any means necessary...


Miss Higgi Says, We Will Be Silent No More!

Racism By Another Name...

 

Can you imagine that you work for a large nonprofit that services mostly Black and Brown people that recently hired an Indian COO who, within the span of one year, proceeds to hire Asian CFO, CIO & CHRO and God knows who else and the only one who seems to object so far is me! Each of these jobs pays over $150K, maybe as much as $200K.

 

This is why I object to use of the term of "people of color", especially in employment settings. WHO are we talking about? This woman is trying to stand on our Black shoulders and piss on us as she tells us its raining and hires nothing but Asians... 

I wrote the white female CEO yesterday and asked with whose authority is this acceptance of what looks like blatant racist and discriminatory behavior happening? It seems to be happening unchecked and unquestioned. All hell would be breaking if a Black person tried this. 

We CANNOT continue to accept a double standard. 

We CANNOT keep sitting by allowing others to pimp our hard work and legacy of civil rights while excluding and disrespecting us. 

We CANNOT continue being complicit by silence in the oppression of us.
If we don't speak up for ourselves who will? More importantly, who should? 

Be inspired to lift your voice no matter the possible consequence. If our ancestors had been afraid, where would we be?

We teach folks how to treat us. Time to write a new lesson plan...

Take your pick and channel the spirit of Harriet Tubman or any of our other fearless and brave Ancestors. 

Be unafraid to get in the way. Be willing to stir up some good trouble! Again, if not us, who?

To Be Continued...

Jersey Girls Don't Pump!

True Story:

I was driving from NJ to California for the first time. It was 1986 I had never been nor driven farther south than DC. I was taking the southern route because it was the better route for weather in December.

I had to gas up once I hit Somewhere, Virginia. Of course I didn't know how to pump gas and of course I had no intention of pumping gas or getting my hands dirty with that smelly ole' gas. I was a Jersey Girl and we don't pump!

That was until I saw the difference in the price between self serve and full serve. Full service is what we were accustomed to in New Jersey. That used to mean that the attendant pumped the gas, checked the oil, cleaned the windshield, put air in the tire if necessary. FULL service meant FULL service! We are now deprived as are all other states, full service now means we only get our gas pumped. What ever happened to good customer service? LOL!

When it became evident that there was such a huge price difference and I had some 3000 miles before me, I knew I had to learn how to pump and fast! Some nice woman was watching me fumbling with this contraption foreign to me, commonly known as a gas pump. I don't think I even knew how to remove the handle. Seriously... Seeing that I had no idea what the hell I was doing, she said "honey do you want me to show you"? Of course I said yes and I pumped my own gas from Virginia to California and back.

Even now, when I'm in one of those lesser privileged states that still have to pump their own gas, I will pump. But trust me, when I don't have to, I don't! If I am coming anywhere near Jersey, I wait to fill er' up!

Good for Jersey! Keeping folks employed! Gas station attendant was an honorable after school or summer job. At some point I am sure all the boys in our neighborhood had a job pumping gas.

 
Gas in NJ was cheaper than the pump your own states until governor christie cut a self serving deal I am sure with the oil company devils. Gas was cheaper in NJ AND we didn't have to endure the elements to pump it. Imagine that! We were spoiled.

Not pumping gas in Jersey is like a state privilege, a relatively small perk in exchange for the high ass taxes I suppose! SMH... 

May we never have to pump gas in Jersey. It will be a one term politician who campaigns for change in this law. Yes, its against the law to pump your own gas, at least it used to be. So when in Jersey, just chill and get half served. That's as good as it's going to get! LOL!!!

FN: I forego gas on really cold or otherwise bad weather days out of compassion for the worker! It can wait!