This Week's Opening Thought: October 2, 2023

This week's opening thought: I went to use the restroom while waiting for my flight out of Chicago and back to Portland (my wife and I took a much-needed long weekend trip) and encountered a gentleman in the middle of a phone call. He was standing at a urinal, Bluetooth in his ear, deeply involved in a work-related conversation while, I assume, trying to take a standing piss.

While catching this spectacle, the only thing that came to mind was there was something in this person’s work history that made him think he was not allowed the option or opportunity to take a bathroom break. Seeing that he was a person of culture, I can't imagine the experiences that led to the perceived understanding that his bladder and physical relief are significantly less important than a work call. I know the weight of working in white workplaces, in overwhelmingly white professions, and how deep the wounds it inflicts on your identities and self-worth are. I’m fortunate enough to be healing from my experiences, but I know so many people of culture aren’t as fortunate or have yet to embark on that journey. Some never will. I do not judge them, because no one’s journey in life is a carbon copy of someone else’s, but my heart hurts for them.

He left the bathroom before me, sharing one of those work-related jokes many people of culture have been conditioned to tell so our white “colleagues” deem us “safe” and palatable. I’m not a religious man, but I said a little prayer for homeboy’s safe travels and a safer employment situation. I also hoped he has a safe place at home where he doesn't have to be on like this and can prioritize his bladder over a spreadsheet.

Ain’t no job worth your soul, your identities, your self-worth, or a multitasking situation at a urinal in a Chicago airport restroom.

This Week's Opening Thought: September 18, 2023

Image description: A one-panel comic strip. An older person wearing glasses and a suit and tie stands at a podium in front of the silhouette of an audience. A person in the audience says, "I want my kids taught about the past exactly as it happened in a way that also mythologizes this country's achievements in particular while portraying bad actions as aberrations in order to instill a sense of civic pride but is not in any way opinionated." At the bottom of the image is the sentence, "My nightmare: having to write public school history curricula."

This week's opening thought: THIS. This is why I decided to go on an indefinite sabbatical from doing anti-racism and equity work with organizations.

There is no positive spin for original sins.

There is no way to learn about or have difficult conversations about U.S. history, colonization, the abuse and enslavement of Black and Indigenous peoples, and the near genocide of Native and Indigenous communities and make people of pallor "feel safe" or willingly allow people of the white persuasion (genetically or aspirationally) to run with the "not my ancestors" narrative unchecked.

Don't waste my time. Don't waste the time of facilitators, educators, and other people you expect to teach you or our youth if all you want is to feel you and your ancestors are on the "right side of history."

Those who want to rewrite history tend to have no issue repeating it and partaking in its bitter fruit.

Just admit you prefer the fruit you know and aren't interested in you or your kids planting new trees and digging up the old ones.

[Image description: A one-panel comic strip. An older person wearing glasses and a suit and tie stands at a podium in front of the silhouette of an audience. A person in the audience says, "I want my kids taught about the past exactly as it happened in a way that also mythologizes this country's achievements in particular while portraying bad actions as aberrations in order to instill a sense of civic pride but is not in any way opinionated." At the bottom of the image is the sentence, "My nightmare: having to write public school history curricula."]

This Week's Opening Thought: September 11, 2023

This week's opening thought: A white "professional" recently asked me why I often describe what I was wearing when I share my daily encounters with racism and anti-Blackness. It's simple.

I want to negate the "talking point" that somehow my dress or choice of clothing could be construed as "dangerous" and that it's somehow my fault that people of pallor feel like they're "in danger" when they see a Black man with pink headphones and a Kill Bill t-shirt walking toward them, smiling and saying hello.

I want to negate you telling me it's my fault if the unmelanated kill me for no discernable reason.

How detailed I am in describing what I'm wearing in a potentially dangerous and life-threatening situation shouldn't be what troubles you.

Black people having to build a damn detailed court case to convince you that we did nothing wrong, yet still have to defend our right to safety and survival because whiteness by default feels like we had to do SOMETHING to incur the wrath of whiteness because, you know, whiteness has never harmed or killed anyone with melanated skin without cause should be what troubles you.

But what the hell do I know?

I’m just a Black man with pink headphones and a Kill Bill t-shirt.

This Week's Opening Thought: August 28, 2023

This week's opening thought: The amount of anti-Blackness, white supremacy, and white privilege it takes to pass education legislation in your state that calls for teaching the youth of your state that chattel slavery was a “character-building moment” that gave enslaved Black bodies “useful skills” and then show up at a Black community-led vigil after a white supremacist intentionally murdered three Black people in your state in a pre-meditated anti-Black hate crime and think you deserve the right to speak at said vigil is peak whiteness. Hell, that’s beyond peak whiteness.

That is quintessential, old-school classic whiteness.

That’s some forefather shit.

To not care about my life or what your people have inflicted upon mine over 400+ years, then see the murders of my people as a photo op for your Presidential campaign and pop up to share “thoughts and prayers?”

That is vintage whiteness, like an original Ted Nugent t-shirt at a KKK rally.

Harm now; act as if you will apologize later while doubling and tripling down on the damage you’ve caused and supported.

That’s that classic apple pie white supremacy right there, y’all.

A la mode.

This Week's Opening Thought: August 21, 2023

This week's opening thought: If you live in the United States, you live in a country where many people believe lizard people walk among us, JFK, Jr. is a descendent of Christ, alive and preparing for a run as Donald Trump’s running mate, and that Joe Biden is not the acting President on top of believing Joe died years ago, leaving a hired actor to portray him in public to save face.

At this point, no one should be surprised that we can't have honest conversations about real fact-driven issues in the United States.

We can't even agree that there ain't no damn lizard people walkin’ the streets.