I know it’s been a bit hectic out here.
Do you still make time for yourself?
Do you make time for your future?
You know! Day-dreaming, school, creating, networking events (via zoom these days), budgeting, journaling? These are only a few of the many prerequisites for growth, a natural component for everyday life as a developing human being. One thing I learned about growth is that it naturally accelerates in highly nutritious environments.
Flowers can't grow or survive in the shade, nor do fish on land, or a zebra in the lion's den. As a black person in the United States of America 2020, I can't grow in places where I can’t breathe. That seems to be the case scenario for us everywhere nowadays; our homes, going to the store, or even while experiencing trauma.
The amount of stress that the black community is enduring right now is built up and unjustly immense but it's common, we often begin to experience high-stress environments of this gravity young. Ask Gianna Floyd.
SUMMARY
Common Disadvantages Through Living Eyes: Growing up as a black child you experience nuances that you don't always grasp until you're matured. This take on the public school system in the countries largest poor city shows how America primes students for a difficult climb to success.
Talking About This In Coronas Society?: Why are people mobilizing in the midst of coronavirus to amplify a death when people die every day? Because
Carrying On: Moving forward we can't give up, here are a few ways to keep your energy running high and
Affirmations for perseverance: To weather the storm...
Common Disadvantage Through Living Eyes
Public school systems have the agenda of breeding smart students to become successful adults that fit within the current demands of our economy. These same public schools fail to realize the diversity of their students, glorify the past using modern technology, and barely have enough funding to provide school lunch if any at all. Worst of all, they fail to prepare their students for the additional disadvantages they may occur in the midst of their future endeavors because as a society we refuse to address the fact that America thrives off of systemic oppression. You can’t teach a black kid how to be successful in a society that kills them for getting skittles and an Arizona before they touch college. Not when black parents don't make it home from work at night. Not when legalized lynching is still around. Not while black folks are being disproportionately incarcerated. Not while we have domestic terrorist groups being secured by the police who, by the way, are never in the same room.. We lack equity. Everybody can’t always win because that's not how America works.
My historically black elementary and middle school shut down when it was time for us to go to 6th grade and that was the last time I entered an establishment that wanted to see me win for me. From then on it was mediocre and strained encounters with people who are obligated to communicate with me for a quota or a product. After graduating high school I took accelerated courses at our community college, realizing that a liberal arts honors major is useless to me, I dropped out to work and configure what I really wanted to go to school for since they want so much money from 18-year-olds who don’t always know what they really want to do. The fashion, retail, and beauty industry exposed me to countless microaggressions and no matter how much I loved doing my job, that love never outweighed the pain I’d endure from not addressing passive racism for the sake of my income.
Dragging into work, not caring about the consequences of my actions, crying to and from, feeling like all the work I was doing was ultimately worthless. Hatred depleted my employee morale and put into perspective where I truly stood in society, with myself. August 2019 I decided to never work for anyone again, last month I re-enrolled in college to pursue an education that’ll enhance the creative skillset I have been actively enhancing and passionate about since youth and planning since 2017 (1EH established!). As this year unfolded I grew more and more thankful that I took this route because in situations like the current coronavirus pandemic, black communities are once again getting hit the hardest. I'm thankful to be able to be home so I can aid my parents as needed, and to do some self-development.
Talking About Race in Coronas Society?
Between the demographics of coronavirus patients and the increase of police brutality cases, it’s time to come to terms with the fact that white America thrives off of the systemic oppression of black people and people of other races as well. The population of the government is predominantly white and the laws they work to enforce and protect were built in times of legally legitimized hate towards our people. This country is not here for us until they unarm when facing us, they’re relentless. Look at the toll that the coronavirus pandemic has had on yourself, your peers... It’s in the demographics. Our communities are known to be withheld of resources, filled with excessive unhealthy advertisements (ie tobacco promotions), and policed to literal death. Through the George Floyd case, we are learning that they rather arrest thousands of people peacefully protesting against racism and pay to open an investigation for a murder we all witnessed on video than convict the four murderers we saw forcefully kill George Floyd on camera. In Philadelphia today(June 1st), as local communities were actually being demolished, the majority of the Philadelphia Police Department stood guard of the Rizzo Statue in front of the Municipal Building across from City Hall because that's where priorities lie. Frank Rizzo, the Philadelphia Police Commissioner from 1968 to 1971 that was extremely against desegregation and well known for police brutality against black people.
Occurrences like these where organizations/individuals of power show their true malicious values are truly enlightening. Though a lot of us are aware that black people have been disproportionately dying for years, the more blatant and easily accessible it becomes the more people acknowledge the injustice. The United States Police force is funded at a militant level and has a history of discrimination and excessive force against black people, hence the demographic of black people in the prison system. A multitude of cases has presented themselves where black people were incarcerated with little to no real evidence (ie Central Park Five featuring yall president, and also Mumia Abu-Jamal of MOVE who is still incarcerated today in 2020). There are also many instances where white supremacists and hate groups have publicly showcased their hatred for non-white communities; when they go as far as physically harming people action is seldom taken. The lack of security and danger imposed on black tax-paying civilians from cops is fueled by economically comfortable white upper/middle-class communities that value colonialism and hateful ideals rooting back to 17th-century With the lack of action taken places, we have no choice but to allude that police have chosen the side of hate.
People are outside peacefully protesting about the undervalued black lives and traveling to their destinations while getting hurt/killed/incarcerated by police for no reason other than opposition tension. Yes, there were riots and I will not say that there were not people from my community doing wrong but let me push this point, there will always be bad seeds and the larger picture shouldn't be undermined by actions that we can easily resolve. Chain establishments can build back up in a day, police funding is through the roof, that money should fund the building of our communities. Nothing is as broken down as our system, so if the establishments that fuel an economy thriving off of hate happen to get demolished or looted in the midst of change, then so be it.
We are in the midst of a pandemic and are being forced to mobilize, this is genocide.
Though we are beginning to get a glimpse of justice for the most recent hate crimes enacted on black people, we must not lose momentum as this is only the beginning of a larger revolution. Yes, we are seeing justice for George Floyd, but we have to stop situations like that from continuing to happen! We fought to keep Floyd’s murderers off the streets but one has already posted bail. Until we see an entirely new system in favor of equity and equality, there will be no rest amongst this country, hence no justice no peace. Black people deserve to be protected whilst living to their fullest potential by defunding then abolishing the police, and using the surplus for education/living resources in neighborhoods nationwide, focusing on black communities along with other disadvantaged communities. Scrolling through twitter in the midst of this madness, I learned that America has paid 13 settlements to groups of people they have disadvantaged throughout the years yet African Americans have yet to receive theirs. After segregation from funded advancing communities, mass incarceration, and no reparations ever, there's a clear indifference.
When coronavirus was our main concern and twitter was clapping back at celebrities for complaining about quarantine from their multi-million dollar estates, I remember growing anger towards our country for a multitude of reasons at once. People in highly populated neighborhoods, usually minorities, are getting affected at higher rates than anybody else. We still work to pay for bills that won't be suspended, we have family that we can’t just fly out, we don’t often have pools and decks or space to quarantine in a comfortable environment. As I ponder on the parallels of living through a pandemic, I had the unconscious thought that “If I at least had my 40 acres and a mule right now I’d be fine.” If we had gotten this when it was proposed, the black community would definitely be more financially secured and established today. Or maybe if black people were permitted to by real estate post-slavery. If reparations were paid today, descendants of slavery would receive an average of $350k, that's an education and security to sustain and invest! The country may be burning but same this country was built on the backs of Africans on indigenous land, two communities that are still being most affected by the harsh realities of the world.
Carrying on
Today I woke up and social media was relatively back to normal and I didn’t like that, each day I continue to find cases of hate crimes against black people with no resolution and we haven't even got justice for Breonna Taylor! We must continue to persevere in our mission for civilized freedom in America by pushing for a reformed if not an entirely new system that stands strong against forces of hate. Though the media has tried to push the narrative that the black pride and passion we are vocalizing due to the passing of George Floyd and others as unruly, it is necessary and transformative. People are on the frontlines aiding one another in voicing change. On social media platforms thought leaders and activists are mobilizing by sharing the most powerful tool of all -- knowledge. These are the people providing us with guidance for maneuvering through society during these times from a relatable point of view. They dedicate their time to researching through endless documents for historical facts to solidify our points and open discourse, so thank and acknowledge them. Black thinkers are the gatekeepers of change, not influencers. Thank you everyone who continues to remains actively in touch with these issues. Continue to consciously consume information that is intended to uplift and bring wealth to the black community, it's out there so stay curious.
BLACK PEOPLE. WE ARE A BEAUTIFUL TALENTED AND EVERFLOWING SOURCES OF EXCELLENCE.
Take some time to embrace that; in the midst of the madness, I highly recommend you dedicate time to listen to your body and make sure that you are receiving the rest and attention you may need. Over the past two weeks, I have been putting a bit more of my energy into the community and as an introverted empath, I am just drained mentally and physically. There is nothing wrong with taking some time to recharge, sometimes your body is exhausted and you don’t even really know because your mind is telling you to go, go, go. Being in touch with your emotions promotes greater satisfaction so listen to yourself.
There's a lot of work to do.
The problem continues as black people continue to die at even more alarming and blatant rates during our time of the peaceful protest (Rest In Power #MichaelThomas #RobertFuller). I am aware of a case in both Oklahoma and Philadelphia where a civilian says "I can't breath" and the cops responded "I don't care" or "That shit don't work here.", it's a shame because this is exactly how we got here. Stay diligent in your efforts to invest in our black communities. With perseverance we can get the change we are working so hard for. Remember to speak up against injustice when it is safe to do so, keep curious, and take it one day at a time. There's no telling what could happen tomorrow and with no real resolution for many current events, I suspect that things will remain the same if not worse before they get better.
On the other hand, try to create peaceful environments when you can. Try to be there for one another to the best of your ability, don’t spread yourself too thin but think about how your loved ones may be handling current events and hit them up. There is no proper way to cope so don’t let people behind a screen make you feel bad for doing or not doing anything during these times. Social media can be informal but also very subjective, everyone is a critic if you let them. We are already our own worst critic! You’re doing amazing each day you decide to wake up so keep up the good work. ♡
sign petitions * donate to local organizations that you absolutely trust * spread knowledge
I, Soroya Naomi, commit to providing more resources and marketing for black excellence than usual on my platform SoroyaNaomi.co, on social media, and throughout all 1EvilHousewife endeavors. Stay posted for content regarding the progression of the black community, motivation, art, lifestyle, and wellness.
Let's end things off with a push for the stars, we have a long way to go so let's persevere through this obstacle with good spirits. HERE ARE A FEW AFFIRMATIONS FOR PERSEVERANCE:
I am focused and on track for success.
I am never giving up.
I deserve to experience greatness.