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I’m tired y’all Most days I’m trying not to scream into a void. I know my black colleagues feel the same. I’m not sharing this for pity, I’m sharing it because you all should know that black resilience shows itself in little things like literally showing up to work everyday
We’re not sleeping right. We’re not eating right. Cut off from our family and friends. You want us to be professional and to carry on like nothing is happening. Then ask “how are you doing?” with that slight head tilt like you know how this time might be “tough for us”
We’re also responsible for re-teaching you 400 years of American history like it’s our fault you can’t see things obviously in front of you.
We have to read the comments of people saying “but what was he wearing?””lemme see the earlier part of the tape”
We have to read the comments of people saying “but what was he wearing?””lemme see the earlier part of the tape”
I walked up to my apartment building yesterday. Black girl is crying out on the street. Her friend’s inside being questioned by building management talmbout calling the police! For what?! They’re in our common space and weren’t residents.
Now I gotta explain WHY NOT TO CALL THE COPS. Like brah, these 14 yo girls shouldn’t be in our building but WHY are they here in the middle of the day? BECAUSE THEY DONT HAVE HOMES DUMMY. Ever think to call their mom to come get them before the mf’ing cops?!
Then the manager dude is all red like he’s trying not to cry because confronting white supremacy is crushing him in real time. And for some reason I then decide to coach him >through his panic attack<. And help him through the problem he created in the first place!
Buddy you get paid to be professional and now I gotta show you how to do your job! (Sounds familiar?!)
Three feet behind him I’ve got the new black lobby staff who is communicating with me through eye signals and nods like every black persons knows how to do since the age of five. And black folks reading this thread already know what she and I said to each other.
Two minutes later I’m smiling on a video conference trying to support Oakland businesses on how to reopen during a pandemic like that really didn’t just happen in my lobby!
There aren’t enough vacation and sick days to heal from this shit that happens every damn day.
There aren’t enough vacation and sick days to heal from this shit that happens every damn day.
Not to mention all the entitled white men who email me demanding their street be repaved or they want a pothole filled. Like really dude? The sky is on fire right now and you wanna tell me “I saw you on that panel so I know you’ll change this for me because you said you would”
Then some folks wanna call me and say “hey this other black planner called you out and disagrees with your strategy.” Like, what’s your point, friend? We all gotta agree or you’re not for us? How about the fact that we’re both right? And you’re seeing the division instead?
Forget that article talmbout “national Check-On-Your-Black-Coworker day” how about instead, y’all GROW TF UP. LEVEL UP. We’re tired of dragging you through your own mess then getting scraps after we fix your problem.
Happy Friday.
Warm wish, kind regards.
Warm wish, kind regards.
And more eloquently put, by the esteemed @TamikaButler https://twitter.com/tamikabutler/status/1299175786293805056">https://twitter.com/tamikabut...
