Daily Vibranium: Sincerely, A Tired Black Woman

I’m tired of being the “bigger person” and having to continously bite my tongue. I’m tired of being considered the “angry black woman“ just for sticking up for my people or speaking affirmatively or with conviction. I hate how my people are disproportionately targeted by the police. I’m tired of my people being hashtags and watching those who swore to protect and serve do everything but that. I’m tired of explaining systematic racism and white privelage to those who choose to blantly disregard its existence —-just google it at this point — because I’m tired. I‘m tired of people trying to tell black folks how to respond to being murdered. When we protest peacefully in hope of our voices being heard, they retaliate with grenades, pepper spray, tasers and dogs. When we respond violently they tell us to protest peacefully or our voices won’t be heard — IM TIRED! I hope thats loud and clear. The tensions between black people and the police are nothing new and date back to the 1700s, the Rodney King era and modern day ...that’s 100s of years of being tired. Anyway...I’m tired of #AllLivesMatter, All lives can’t matter until the black ones do. Stop grouping me with POC... all POC ain’t kinfolk—-the term is not interchangeable. I‘m tired of football and basketball stadiums being packed to the brink with jerseys that have the names James and Curry on the back, but when racial tensions are high and cases of police brutality, inequality or injustice arise non black people get oddly quiet. Where’s your NFL Super Bowl...down by 6 at the 40 yard line with a minute left to go voice? I wish they loved black people as much as they love our culture. I’m tired of the things we do or create being called ghetto but then our ideas are rapidly stolen, appropriated and labeled innovative, next- level, forward thinking or futuristic. Imitation is not the highest form of flattery in this case. They want our rhythm, but not our blues... it’s a shame. I‘m tired of not being able to wear my own damn hair to job interviews. I’m tired of not being able to have cookouts, parties or live in upscale neighborhoods in peace without it being questioned. I’m tired of ’Karen’ using her privilege and racism as a weapon against black people. I’m tired of black people simply not being able to exist. I’m tired of the hatred, the discrimination and racial profiling. I’m tired of our mugshots being shown or petty crimes we committed as children being brought up following our brutal slayings. I’m tired of having to be 10 times as good just to sit at tables with people who don’t even know how they got a seat there. I’m tired of having to always be perfect or politically correct. I’m tired of depending on a system that wasn’t meant to protect us in the first place.

No you can’t touch my hair.

No I won’t do that little dance you like.

No you can’t say the N word.

No just because you have black friends doesn’t make it any less racist.

Sincerely,

A tired black woman