It’s so strange to be a young black woman at this time, feeling deeply the injustices in this world while continuing to work and live like business ass usual. When we learned about the Civil Rights Movement in school. The work that went in, the sacrifices, the intensity, it didn’t give us time to consider that their were people, black people, who were also just living their lives. Feeling the movement, believing and wanting it to succeed but who still had to have breakfast, clock into work, get through a day, have dinner, go to bed, repeat. Those people existed, and I guess I’m one of those people.
I’m coming to terms with the fact that I wouldn’t have been that person at the front of the protest giving speeches and encouraging people, because that isn’t who I am now. I wouldn’t have even been one of the people at the sit ins because I’m not that person now. I’m just one of those people that those in the front are fighting for, and that’s alright with me to a certain extent.
That’s not to say that I’m not doing anything. I’m contributing financially to organizations, bail funds, etc. I’m signing petitions, supporting black businesses and artists. I’m staying away from corporations that are known to support certain causes and individuals who are not in favor of the movement, and I’m living as a black woman who is proud and supportive. That in itself is political. As head producer for a fairly small media company, I’m doing my part in showcasing black people, and giving voice to black stories, even if my platform isn’t as large. I’m sharing the work of my more creative friends, and I’m having conversations at home, with friends, and at work about the changes that need to be made.
Maybe I wouldn’t be Angela Davis, Rosa Parks, or Mary McLeod Bethune, but I am a black woman, and the things that I do to support count.
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Semi-Employed 