george floyd

How Can We Win – Kimberly Jones

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The following video is an emotional and profound witnessing in the day or so after rioting in Minneapolis. Watch it. Listen to it. Take it to heart.
Below the video are additional Twitter follows that I’ve added to Wednesday’s posts as well as three Wikipedia links to three abhorrent acts of racist terrorism, two of which Ms. Jones mentions in her video. I would remind readers that Wikipedia is a first step in learning and understanding about anything. It gives the gist and then more reading can follow. When people ask what’s the big deal about President Trump’s rallies and convention speech in the places and dates chosen, this is your opportunity to know the racist history. Kimberly Jones Matthew Cherry Ava DuVernay Nikole Hannah Jones (Ida Bae Wells) Michele Norris   Rosewood Massacre (FL) Tulsa Race Massacre (OK) Ax Handle Saturday (FL)

Mental Health Monday – Black Lives Matter and Resources

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After the last post, I have tried to sit down to write about how I feel and what I think in preparation for returning with posts this week, and it has really been something of a struggle. Even before last week’s unrest and ongoing police brutality, I have been in a state of numbness throughout the lockdown and the marches and the President’s rhetoric is only exacerbating that.

In fact, it has made things more difficult as I watched what happened in Minnesota travel as an ever-increasing ripple from coast to coast and then swirling around the world.

I say all of this with the acknowledgement of enormous privilege. I do know that it is much more difficult for the people mourning George Floyd and marching and protesting and making their voices heard. I have no intention of co-opting that, and I’m trying to discern how I can navigate my way to allow myself to continue what I do here and at home while honoring and respecting what is happening in this country.

I spent last Wednesday, what Twitter called #BlackoutTuesday as a way to not post my usual nonsense across my social media platforms. I didn’t go completely offline because I don’t think that was the point of the day, but I didn’t engage unless I was amplifying black voices. I let myself read black community tweets, follow links, look into things that black voices recommended and consequently, I found some really good resources, most of which I will share tomorrow.

Today, I will recommend two books and a link to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) that they shared especially for African-American people who are living through another trauma that many of us just can’t understand.

Recently, in January, as part of a spiritual workshop I participated in that talked about inclusion, diversity and recognizing bias, I was able to discover and read White Fragility by Robin Diangelo. I would recommend it to every white person to read. It was a tough one, especially recognizing myself and people I know in the pages.

I am currently reading How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi. It’s also a tough one, in a very different way, but, it is also very good.

This is NAMI’s statement on recent racist incidents and Mental Health Resources for African Americans.

I will return tomorrow with more as part of Tuesday’s Election Connection series.

22 Weeks Until Election Day. #BlackOutTuesday #AmplifyBlackVoices

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Today is a day to amplify Black voices. This will be my only post today, and I’ve decided to postpone this week’s scheduled posts. As I was looking at my writing in progress for this week, I realized that going on as if nothing were happening in this country was, at a minimum, tone deaf. I will continue to update my covid-19 posts, and if I find anything helpful to the protests and justice for George Floyd and David McAtee (killed by police in Louisville (just in the last few days) and so many others that have been victims of police and government brutality. Mine is a voice that hasn’t had to live in a Black man’s skin and I’ve always tried to listen. Listening isn’t something I can do if I’m posting.

This graphic links to the secure act blue donation page. These are the organizations that any monies raised by this fund will be going to. Thanks to Crooked Media for providing the graphic on their Twitter.