The author is a white Anti-Racist, Social Justice Advocate. She seeks knowledge and truths surrounding the interconnections of the historical and contemporary issues of racism across the globe.
With knowledge and truth comes responsibility. As a woman who is part of the dominate white culture and a citizen of the world, there is a responsibility to share information that will
lead to a more culturally humble society.
The author at times reacts in an emotionally charged manner but does so with a
good heart and from a good place.
The author is of the belief that there is only one race label and that is the Human Race.
November 19th, 2016
TOM HANKS FOR PRESIDENT 2020. IT RUNS IN HIS FAMILY!!
Stevie Wonder the man, the myth, the legend - is responsible for the election anthem of 2016, and he doesn’t even know it yet.
September 24, 2016
A Critical Time In Our History
This isn't my best writing, but this needs to be written now not when a polished written piece is completed!!! We as a society wonder why our country is in the state that it is in. There has always been people who were bigoted and racist but there was one main distinction between now and 8 years ago and that is, we as a people now allow politicians to threaten the life of the President of the United States!! Now anyone from Presidential candidates to protesters, can say or write the most vile, hateful, sterotypic, bigoted and racist statements without it being viewed as a direct threat. In OUR country people are encouraged to incite violence and murderous acts against one another etc. etc. all without consequences and more importantly without a conscious and sensitive to the human being . We have allowed this behavior to become the norm of the United States. In addition to the obvious reasons for ethical change in OUR country, I have said and will continue to say, that this type of hatred and divisiveness is EXACTLY what our enemies desire. Continuing to fuel such hatred will ignite a catostaphic occurrence unlike anything we have seen in our lifetime!! This is a critical period in our country's history and we have to get this right!
The
United States of America is the greatest nation on earth based on OUR
democratic principles and values. The political progress, growth and development
in last century is centered in OUR US National Constitution. We the People have
supported and worked hard with our local, state and federal lawmakers and
politicians, in advocating for effective and hopefully peaceful foreign
relationships and policies, US domestic policies including but not limited to, women’s
rights, racial and religious equality, fair treatment of OUR US Service Men and
Women, US Military Veterans, people with MH/IDD/Physical disabilities and the LGBT community
Almost
daily, we have ALL witnessed the repeated verbal attacks, and untruths which Donald
Trump spews across all political parties, races, genders, religious and ethnic
communities. Donald Trump’s inappropriate,
intolerant, insulting and hateful messages, threatens to undue the very fabric
that our American flag represents. Our US political process is not a perfect
one and could be improved upon, however, we must do so in a democratic and
peaceful manner.
This
is a unique and scary time in history where ALL people across ALL parties,
religions, races, ethnicities, sexual preferences and socio-economic status,
are called to come together and ensure that Donald Trump is removed from the
privilege of running as a US Presidential Candidate to preserve OUR rights and privileges.
Petitioning
to remove Donald Trump from the Presidential Election Ballot is NOT a Democrat
or Republican party issue and should NOT be used as one.
This
is an AMERICAN issue.
GodBless America!
July 23rd, 2016
IS TRUMP A RACIST???
BAD NEWS: The New York Times reports that Donald Trump's father Fred was arrested in 1927 following a fight between police and members of the Ku Klux Klan in New York City.
Trumps family name is Drumpf. His grandfather Friedrich Drumpf and grandmother Elisabeth were born in Germany and emigrated to the United States and changed their name hence TRUMP. Yet in one of his books he claims Swedish ancestry. When asked why he did not include his German heritage, he did not have a response other than “I don’t know”
On Memorial Day 1927, brawls erupted in New York led by the Ku Klux Klan. In Queens, 1,000 white-robed Klansmen marched through the Jamaica neighborhood, eventually spurring an all-out brawl with POLICE in which seven men were arrested.
One of those arrested was Fred Trump of 175-24 Devonshire Rd. in Jamaica, Queens New York. The address in the article also matches that of Trump's fathers address in Queens. Yet Trump denies his father ever lived there!!
One could say that this arrest record isn’t exactly proof that Fred Trump was in the KKK…YOU decide. Also, both were sued several times for keeping Blacks from renting any of their properties etc. etc. !!!!
When asked about the white supremacist David Duke was….
” I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists.“
Not Racist?? Really Donny??????????
The United States MUST UNITE very soon before
our enemy's figure out a way to use our
divisiveness to their advantage!!
My heart and prayers go out to the people
In Nice, France
July 14, 2016 This was a Face Book post that I believe is a critical message in our understanding of how we are perceived based on facts and our indifference!! We need to do better....STEP UP!!
HOW DO YOU TELL A WHITE FRIEND FROM A WHITE ASSOCIATE?
Almost ALL Black people have white people in their lives that we refer to as friends. The reality is, we use that term very loosely.
What we really mean is we have white associates. People we work with, know, the "greeter" at the grocery store... All associates.
A "White Friend" is entirely different. A white friend is a white person whom when he hears you talking about the Struggle... Sees what you've posted about the Struggle... He is right there with you. Matter of fact, he/she will add more to it! If you were trying to hold up a 5 foot long #BlackLivesMatter banner, they would grab the other end and march alongside you.
These are the white people who when in an all white group and someone makes a racist statement... They speak up and put them in check. They refuse to keep silent. They understand Black and Minority anger and marvel at how well we've kept it in check this long.
A white *associate* takes pride in the fact he/she *knows* Black people. You are more of a cultural enrichment tool for their lives. Intellectually, they think... IMAGINE your struggle, but they are not willing to move out of their comfort zone to do anything about it.
You need to know the difference between a FRIEND and an ASSOCIATE. They are not the same. Over time, an associate *may* turn out to be a friend. But that is not guaranteed.
This week on CBS's "Face the Nation," the former New York City mayor referred to the anti-police brutality movement as "inherently racist"!! His statement was vile and disgusting by blaming black youth for our country's struggle with racial equality.
Our society has oversimplified the definition of racism as simply one group disliking another group. Minority individuals can be prejudice, have biases, are bigoted, ignorant and stereotype different races and cultures However, I repeat however, you can NOT use the words prejudice and racist interchangeably because they are NOT one in the same!! The verbs listed above, are part of the definition of racism but not as stand alone actions. Racism is when one group of people believe they are superior to other minority groups. Racism also includes individuals and institutions operating from within the dominate culture, who benefit from the oppression of minority individual/groups. How can anyone of us in the United States, Black, white, yellow, red etc. sit down and begin engaging in courageous conversations, without truly understanding the meaning of words that we all have used interchangeably one time or another. We need to be educated as well as take responsibility in educating ourselves.
July 8th, 2016
ALL OF AMERICA IS MY FAMILY
Watching numerous news accounts on the Dallas situation, I knew that I had to respond. Without a doubt justice must be served!! In a perfect world, justice would be served to ALL. In a balanced court of law, lone radical murderers like the shooter in Dallas as well as, ALL of the police murderers around the country would be included in this perfectly balanced system, rather than excluded based on the criteria
of wearing the color Blue. In a perfect world, we would look at one another with genuineness and humility rather than hate, disgust and/or indifference.
I'm afraid that consciously and/or unconsciously, incidents like Dallas will only fuel further racial stereotyping, strengthen existing racial bias and unite racist, hate filled white people especially those in authority. The rules for Grand Jury inquiries are completely stacked for the accused if dressed in Blue. Our existing foundation, fundamental principles and established precedents which flow across multiple sectors in this country, are nothing more than whitewashed laws, guidelines and procedures that continue at a minimum to further the inequality mindset!!
Really???? WTF white America!!! A great way to heal!!
The ACLU of Louisiana stated that Alton Sterling’s death marks the 122nd killing of a Black person by U.S. police this year. As a white person I am soooo sick of seeing my race continually justify murdering Black Men over, and over and over again!!!
This is not a Black issue, or a white issue. This is a WE issue, an internal American issue. We need to do what families do, we need to FIX this! I think about how our country is under foreign terrorist threat and once again what our ancestors said….
”UnitedWeStand,DividedWe Fall”!!
I Am NOT Black, You are NOT White July 1, 2016 After a long absence, I am returning to blogging. Since my last post I have relocated from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. This video was posted on my FaceBook page. I find the message to cross over to other populations as well!!
October 1, 2015
I am taking a break from writing. Hang tight and remember to
actually see what happens right in front of your eyes!
I know I keep re-posting this music video,
but this song tells the story in a powerful way. While the Black Community attempts to get out from under, we the white race need to tear down the baracades .
Get a Clue white America!!
United WeStand, Divided We Fall!!
September 7th 2015
My Response to Dr. J. Sapio's thought provoking article titled:
AMEN
and thank you for providing additional facts and perspectives. Traveling my
life long journey immersed in social justice, I am always searching for new
information.
Throughout
my travels talking with folks from the white race (my race) there has always
been a consistent theme. Within that theme there is a common thread and that is
the question of why? What would white America gain from continuing racist
oppression? When providing an answer I am sure I cannot do it justice, however,
I attempt to explain the reasoning behind a very complex issue, centered in the
very topic you broached and that is unification on a global level. Your article
reflects and connects the historical oppressive racist facts with the
contemporary occurrences. What I recently discovered appears to be another link
in this complex issue. And please correct me if I am wrong!
The
conservative, radical wealthy elite have an enormous amount to lose if they do
not maintain a stronghold on the Black World population. I always wondered why
Africans viewed Black Americans in such a negative light. There appears to be a
growing discontent between the two communities, which I assume originates and
continues to be fueled by the dominate white culture.
I recently
learned that since 1958, 14 African countries continue to be forced by France,
to pay a yearly Colonial Pact Tax for the benefit of their continuing
independence. They are required to relinquish 85% of their funds into France
central bank and under their strict control. They are putting in 500 Billion
dollars every year into the French treasury!!! 500 Billion!!! In fact France
allows them to access only 15% of the money in any given year. If there is need
for any more, they need to borrow the extra money from their own 65% at
commercial interest rates!!! That my friend is more than just obscene!! The
African leaders, who refuse to do so, are killed or are a victim of coup in
their country. Hmmm, the news media portrays it as Africa’s internal Black on
Black war. Those leaders who obey are rewarded by France with lavish lifestyle
while their people endure extreme poverty, and desperation. And how does the
news media portray this story??? If you read the Colonial Pact, as well as the
Defense Agreements, you can clearly see the oppressive control over Africa’s
military, political and natural resources. I cannot buy any products straight
from Africa. There is ALWAYS a middle man if you will.
I am sure
the issue of European control in Africa alone, goes much deeper than this.
Therefore, it behooves the Global white conservative, radical, wealthy elite to
maintain their powerbase here in America, Africa and worldwide by tightening
their oppressive control in order to keep African and Black Americans enslaved
to the European racist mindset.
Can you
imagine the enormous political and economic alliances that could be formed, if
both the African and Black American populations took back what is rightfully
yours??
God Bless
You All…God’s Chosen People!
September 1ST , 2015
"WE DON'T LIVE IN A PROBABLY,
MAYBE OR A WHAT IF WORLD".
The newest racist rhetoric is voiced by Bill O'Reilly and FOX News, am I surprised" Hell no. While I fully support keeping our police officers safe and condemn the murders of our officers, I resent the fact that our US Constitutional Rights are being violated once again. And we are allowing the conservative white race (my race) to once again block and place barricades in front of the Black Community in an attempt to stop them from protesting the slaughter of innocent Black lives, no matter who is doing the killing, civilians or law enforcement!!! By stopping the protest, the conservatives maintain the goal of oppression in order to maintain their economic and political position domestically and globally.
Linking the protests as a major contributor to the murders of Innocent police officers, is just another tactic that the right-wing Conservatives and Tea Party radicals are using to send a message justifying the murders of innocent Black lives.
FOX news and Moran's like Bill O'Reilly began spear heading a campaign against BLM for MONTHS now!! They are characterizing the Black Lives Matter organization as a hate group that supports police officers being murdered.
Remember that the activist movement of the organization Black Lives Matter began after George Zimmerman was acquitted of murdering Trayvon Martin.
Give me solid proof that the organization as a whole entity supports and ignites violence against police officers. If you can provide hard facts then I will be right there with you and I will take back all of my words!!
Don't give me shit like O'Reilly saying that "the protests probably had some effect on the murder Friday night" and then expect me to agree and passively say "OK Bill you are so right"!! People need to start looking for solid factual proof not just words that elude to misconceptions or the linkage of racist rhetoric as the almighty truths for this Nation to follow !! Give me an Fuckin' break.
Guess what Bill baby, you incite so much rage that maybe you will have some sort of negative effect on my behavior...can I use that as a defense?
The last I heard my great country was built on a constitutional foundation! Just like these right wing conservative radicals preach their loyalty to America, I am preaching my love for, dedication to, loyalty of and commitment to these United States of America!! We should be a UNITED America in order to protect our land. Remember: "United We Stand, Devised We Fall"??
Hard cold, factual evidence folks!!! We live in a world where we are allegedly innocent until PROVEN guilty. My new saying is exactly this:
June 28th, 2015
FORGIVENESS OR "COMFORTABLE SILENCE"? In Memory of Rev. Clementa Pinckney,
Tywanza Sanders, Cynthia Hurd, Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Myra Thompson,
Ethel Lance, Rev. Daniel Simmons, Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor and Susie
Jackson
Murderers
have a choice. They can choose NOT to go against God’s commandment by not taking someone's life or they can fulfill their grotesque need to kill and eradicate LIFE based on their hateful ideology, whatever that may be.
When I see and hear of murderous acts against good and innocent people who contributed so much to the value
of our society and God's masterpiece called Life, it takes all that I can
muster up not to personalize and cultivate the desire for vengeance. And by the
way, I usually end up succumbing to this primal compulsion of yearning for
retribution. It is said that it is our
natural instinct to react in order to self-protect against evil and when we
have been wounded. We don't naturally
offer an overflow of forgiveness, charity and understanding when we've been
wronged.
Amazingly,
the families of the victims from the
Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, offered
the murder suspect God’s love and forgiveness…FOREGIVENESS! It may sound like a
very simplistic term however, to my mind, the very notion of forgiveness and
the enormity of this concept, is difficult for me to grasp on an emotional
level. One woman told The Guardian newspaper
that she was praying for the man believed to be responsible for the mass
killing. "I'm just thinking that the devil stepped in," Avis
Williamsgrant told the paper. "I'm
praying for the young man also. We’re all God’s children, and even though he
did what he did, he was just a little sick." William Dudley Gregorie, a city councilman and
trustee of Emanuel Church, said, "We’re
not a church that hates. We’re a church that’s full of forgiveness." Jesus Christ even forgave a murderer. Who
was it? It was Saul of Tarsus - who became the Apostle Paul, the greatest
Christian who ever lived! At one time Saul hated Christians, and was
responsible for sending many of them to their death: "I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death" (Acts
22:4).
If
this murderous atrocity was perpetrated against one of my family members how
would I EVER begin to forgive the sinner?? Are you joking?? I would desire nothing more than to
stick red blazing hot fire pokers in the murderer’s eyes!! The deep level of hate and contempt
that I would bear would feel as if it could no longer be contained within the confines of my mind, heart and soul but rather burst forth like a bulging damn of water. Yet the bible instructs us to think and act otherwise.
Going
against God’s law and not forgiving the wrong doer only creates sin within us.
Being unforgiving creates a malignant cancer which grows and festers within us
and eventually kills our spirit and will blind us to the social realities of life.
Forgiveness involves
not holding the sin against the sinner any longer. Forgiveness does not mean we
should forget or trust the wrong doer. Forgiveness is different from trust. Precautions
are taken, and the dynamics of a relationship will have to change.“The prudent see
danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty”
(Proverbs 22:3). Jesus told His followers to “be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
In the context of racism and hate we must be “innocent” (willing to forgive) yet at the same time “shrewd” (being realistic and pragmatic).
Forgiveness empowers our very being and existence in the name of Jesus Christ.
As a white female anti-racist advocate and ally, I have made it one of my missions to respond to racist opinions centered on controversial news articles posted on the Internet. It never ceases to amaze me, the deep rooted racist attitudes and mindsets that still exists throughout our country! It simply boggles the imagination the level of ignorance and vile hatred which is spewed by individuals from ALL walks of life ultimately crippling our society! After reading the news article and then the multiple post responses by individual readers, I try to provide a different perspective in a non-threatening way to those of my white race who appear to view life from a very bias and stereotypic lens. I am met with such revolting and unyielding resistance from most individuals. Most will not even consider or view the value in taking the time to search out information that just might add another viewpoint for them to consider. In my frustration in not being able to appeal to their sense of humanity and invoke the slightest interest in learning new knowledge, I find myself personalizing and carrying such similar views of contempt but towards the bias and racist posters, therefore, I am mirroring their negative thoughts and behaviors. At the end of the day,
by joining in on the mud-slinging that goes occurs on the Internet news sites, I am no better than the bias posters and I also
become part of the problem instead of part of the solution.
In essence I have
learned a great deal from the family members of the shooting victims, the congregation of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in
Charleston and The President of The United States of America, Barack Obama. I too have a choice. I have been humbled and I have begun to see
value in the concept of Forgiveness as it does not equate to a “comfortable
silence”. On the contrary, forgiveness is a necessity in order to truly see,
raise our collective voices and challenge with exuberance for that which is put
before us, in the name of racial equality.
June 13, 2015
Rachel Doleza:
It is not about the quality work that you
did for the NAACP, it s about how you went about it.
I Have Nothing More to Say About Ms. Doleza Other Than...
I have much empathy and relate to her identification with the Black American Community however, she lied. The mere fact that Ms. Doleza thought about the possibility of living as a Black woman and then proceeded to change her hair and appearance in order to begin a life as a Black woman, is white privilege. Moreover, based on her intellect and experiences, on some level she was very well aware of this, yet choose to justify her actions as a personal decision based on her desire to self identify as Black. Ms Doleza was raised and socialized within the white race. From personal experiences, no matter the level of her affinity with the Black race, there is still a level of her whiteness ingrained and cannot just simply be washed away.
May 29th, 2015
Coatesville School District Two Years Ago
This is the time of year for high school proms and graduations. Two years ago on June
4, 2013, racially charged messages exchanged between Coatesville School
District Superintendent Richard Como and Jim Donato Director of Athletics and
Activities using district-issued cell phones. September of 2013 the
Coatesville School Board convened and there was a public outcry including this
issue, the length of time that it took for the incident to become public
knowledge, the back door meetings which occurred over the summer and last but
certainly NOT least, was the insult on top of the injury that these two racist
individuals were allowed to resign with their retirement pensions intact!!
This incident was just
the beginning. In the spring of 2015 after a lengthy investigation
by the Chester County District Attorney’s office, Richard Como, 68, was
arraigned on 51 felony counts of theft, fraud, and related charges at a
Coatesville district court.
Why can’t I let this
situation rest you ask??? Has justice
truly prevailed?? Once again the themes
of politics and money over shadows the core racist behavior of individuals who
began to believe he/they were untouchable. Racism is power based and Mr. Como who has
white privilege maintained his control by leveraging against white people who
were not as savvy as he, to do the bidding with and for him.
More horrendous is
that he gained the support of minority parents by appearing to the masses that
he had a genuine concern for the welfare and future of their children. Como was a powerful white person who had an
economic agenda…to steal money from the school district, community, taxpayers,
residents and the children.
I personally know
several minority parents whose children went through the Coatesville school
district as well as, excelled in numerous high school sports. They ALL believed
Como’s sincerity when visits were paid at the hospital when their child was
injured or he congratulated them when their child was one of the major contributors to a Coatesville High School
sports team winning a regional or state competition.
The bottom line is
this, while I believe that those who commit fraud and theft need to be
prosecuted, I am also of the belief that the Chester County District Attorney’s
office could have done more than score political points. They could have created numerous opportunities in which to shed light on these racist individuals and their
derogatory and racists behaviors and characterization of innocent children throughout the investigation and legal proceedings.
So what happened to the children who are the TRUE victims in this entire story as well as their families and the Black community as a whole?? I don't want to hear "well we can't prosecute them for hate crimes but at least we got them for 51 felonies". Yes this is true and as a resident of Chester County, I am relieved to some degree. But from a Anti-Racist perspective and a mother, once again, the
power base of the dominate white culture both the white collar criminals and
the Judicial system, took control and changed the entire story line, by putting the vile racist characterization of children as secondary back page news.
May 25th, 2015
MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE
MEDAL OF HONOR
WWII Black soldiers remained segregated even though Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 which
freed slaves held in the Confederate States. There were 464 military personnel who were awarded the highest honor...The Medal of Honor.
ZERO African Americans were awarded
The Medal of Honor
Fast forward to 1993:
A 1993 study commissioned by the Army investigated racial
discrimination in the awarding of medals. At the time, no Medals of Honor
had been awarded to black soldiers who served in World War II. After an
exhaustive review of files, the study recommended that several black
Distinguished Service Cross recipients be upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
On
January 13, 1997, President Bill Clinton awarded the Medal to seven African
American World War II veterans; of these, only Vernon Baker was still alive.
Vernon Baker and President Clinton
I asked myself the question "why award the Distinguished Service Cross medals to African American soldiers but not the upgraded Medal of Honor"? There has to be a more logical reason why not. Then the light bulb went off in my head!! There had to have been additional benefits attached to receiving the Medal of Honor and Lord and behold unfortunately I was correct.
Lets take a look at today's benefits.
Privileges
and courtesies The Medal of Honor confers special privileges on its
recipients. By law, recipients have several benefits:
Entitled to receive a monthly pension
above and beyond any military pensions or other benefits for which they may be
eligible. The pension is subject to cost-of-living increases; as of December 1,
2012, it is $1,259 a month.
Enlisted recipients of the Medal of Honor are entitled to
a supplemental uniform allowance.
This benefit
allows the recipient to travel as he or she deems fit across geographical
locations, and allows the recipient's dependents to travel either
Overseas-Overseas, Overseas-Continental US, or Continental US-Overseas when
accompanied by the recipient.
Special identification cards and commissary and exchange
privileges are provided for Medal of Honor recipients and their eligible dependents.
Recipients are granted eligibility for interment at
Arlington National Cemetery, if not otherwise eligible.
Fully qualified children of recipients are eligible for
admission to the United States military academies without regard to the
nomination and quota requirements.
Recipients receive a 10 percent increase in retired pay.
Those awarded the medal after October 23, 2002, receive a
Medal of Honor Flag. The law specified that all 103 living prior recipients as
of that date would receive a flag.
Recipients receive an invitation to all future
presidential inaugurations and inaugural balls.
TOM HANKS FOR PRESIDENT 2020. IT RUNS IN HIS FAMILY!!
