Still Black in America...

So a lot has been happening in "Black America" of late (in quotes for those who are ready to get all up in arms about how there is only one America). Chris Brown apologized, Soledad had another special about "us", and President Obama went off message and called the police stupid. And, of course, the vultures continue to feed off Michael. Below, I've written a few letters to a few folks whose addresses I don't own. Because, of course, someone they are out there waiting for my opinion. (Sarcasm.) And because I really like letters. (Sincerity.)

***

Dear public who did actually witness Chriannagate,
Let us all continue to be careful. Let's guard ourselves not to blame the victim when she does not take up the causes we feel she should, and let's avoid judging the sincerity of a young man trapped in a cycle of violence. Let's give them space to be young humans, who make (sometimes heinous, sometimes seemingly inexplicable) mistakes. Let's continue to try and keep our jokes tasteful and hold back our condemnation. And let's hope they both get the help they need.

***

Dear White America,
Please don't think you can learn all you need to know about Black folks from a CNN special. Please don't think that most Black folks even watch CNN with any regularity.
Please don't ask a Black person about the statistics you saw in Black in America unless your interest is sincere and sustainable.
Please don't make some inane comment about how we shouldn't even have shows like this, because we shouldn't see the color that I most definitely wear every day.
Please don't feel guilty for your priviledge, especially if your guilt is idle.
There's much more I could say to you, but I'm moving on now, because I'm too busy being a productive black woman to dwell on this.

***

Dear Media,
Stop calling it an ever-loving Beer Summit. You are distracting from more important things, and making yourselves look silly. Do not minimize the reality of racial profiling by trivializing what happens daily to minorities and focusing on what the president drinks. And, just because the role race played in this particular case may have overemphasized, do NOT discredit the reality of it. And of all the things Obama said in that press conference, THIS is what you highlighted in your notes?
Stop.it.

***

Dear Jackson family,
In case we forget to say so, we as Michael's fans really are terribly sorry for your loss. Forgive us if we get caught up and gawk. We just remain in shock and awe at the life we witnessed that has now been extinguished. Take care of the young ones, and heal yourselves, and, if you have time, reign Joe in.
Thanks.

***

Well, that's quite enough on that from me. There is, obviously, much more to be expounded upon with each of these, but I think most of it has been said by now.

Today was Monday at the Young Women's Project.
Well, it was Monday everywhere I suppose, but YWP was where I spent most of the start of the week. It was... uneventful actually. Mondays are quiet for us- no youth, and allegedly a day of planning and adult staff productivity. Like most people who work with youth I'm sure, it seems as though there's never really enough planning time, but we make do. Mondays are also staff meeting day. Despite our anti-bureaucracy stance, they're kinda necessary...

What, you may ask, is the Young Women's Project?
Rather than a marginally interesting post on exactly what we do (the disinterest inrecapping it may only be mine, because I seem to do it often), I'll build suspense for a bit and instead tell you how we feel about things. This may also force you to click on the above link out of curiosity, thereby driving traffic to the website and potentially donations? Yes? Pay my salary? I digress... Aaanywho, I give you

YWP,
in bullet points:

We are:

• pro youth adult partnership
• supportive of "partners" rather than husbands, boyfriends or live-in lovers
• pro interdependence
  
• pro frameworks, check-ins, write-ups the share-drive
  
• pro-sharing, and oblivious to over-sharing
  
• pro trainings, assuming their interactiveness
• also pro chart paper and colorful markers, as a corollary
  
• neutral on promptness, but this is situation-dependent
  
• pro transparency (though not in the teen staff clothing) and pro accountability
• anti agression but pro assertiveness
• anti oppression and pro forward progression
  
• in support of work-life balance, and the balance that comes from mastering the tree pose in yoga
• obviously, pro yoga
• also, pro tai chi, tae bo and Thai food
• supportive of ethiopian, vegan and carribean cuisines, as well as Ben's Chili Bowl
• pro gmail, gchat and google in general
• in support of peer support groups and support systems, but anti support hose
• pro sarcasm, but only when tempered by an angelic smile
• anti beauty culture, but generally in favor of beautiful things
• pro long lunches and longer walks, also pro long evenings
• Basically amazing
  

Well, that's enough of that for the evening. Time for bed, then Tuesday!

It's early morning, between my early workout and commute but I had to stop in to say:
I love a male feminist!

Basically, former president Jimmy Carter rocks my socks today! This article he wrote for the observer is so spot on, that if I ever meet him I will give him a hug! He looks like the sort of former leader of the free world that you could hug, doesn't he?

Granted, the pink heart frame totally makes my case, lol.

Basically, former President Carter lays out the case for why women's subordinate status in many religions, and in daily life around the world, is not a result of inferiority, but rather the power dynamics used by male religious leaders for centuries. I love him for speaking out on this so eloquently. I also love him for pointing out that disagreeing with a religious doctrine was entirely separate from his continued faith. I wish more Christians, and people of all faiths, read their scriptures and discerned for themselves the truth. Rituals and decrees are man's (and I don't necessarily mean that in a gender-inclusive way) interpretations, not necessarily God's will, and that distinction is not made clear often enough. Not that I'm calling for spiritual anarchy here, just noting that a reasoned, thoughtful deviation from your domination is a sign of taking your relationship with your Higher Power seriously. I like it.

Random Ponderance of the Week

I know there are lots more important things I could write about, and should gather my thoughts on, but something has really been perplexing me, and so I'm taking a friends' suggestion and writing about it.

What is the purpose of men yelling out of car windows at women who are walking by? Or for that matter, attempting to communicate at all when the two parties are moving incompatibly (i.e. driving in opposite directions, across an intersection, the aforementioned driving v. walking/biking/jogging... you get the idea)?

Now, I'm not talking about obscenities or catcalls. That's another post, and would inspire more annoyance than curiosity. I am just truly confused about why a man would call out to me while I'm taking my daily lunch break walk, when he's in a car and knows good and well he's not pulling over. I mean, it doesn't stop my fresh air fitness, but I find it silly.

The action doesn't seem to serve any real purpose- he's not making any sort of real connection- most of the time I can hardly even see his face to remember him, if that was his goal. We don't exchange names, certainly not contact information, and on the days when I'm trying to make a phone call, he's not even likely to get a wave.

(a fellow confused victim of the drive-by holler)

I just don't get it. Not that I'm under the delusion that every man is looking for commitment, but like, what could you want that you can get in 5 seconds on a street in the middle of the steam of a DC summer? You aren't going to give me a ride, which is the only incentive I could see for a woman entertaining the nonsense that is a drive-by holler. And why on Earth would you want to roll down your window, letting out all the good air conditioning?
When this question was posed to a few guys I trust to be honest, they said (after, of
course assuring me that they NEVER do this) it was pretty much the closest thing to real life facebook. Translation- no risk, because he can drive away before the rejection comes. Hiding behind his steering wheel is probably even more effective than hiding behind a computer screen, since I don't even have a profile to block. Of course, the corollary to this lack of risk is a lack of success. You will, 87% of the time, get nothing of substance from this interaction. (That 87% is for the women this MUST work on or it wouldn't have become a technique.) In fact, with women of temperaments other than mine, you're likely to get annoyance instead of amusement, which would seem to be the opposite of the goal of such interaction...

But, perhaps this isn't really about anything of "substance." Perhaps it's just an attempt to be heard in an anonymous world? Like a real-time facebook status, maybe these guys just want someone to know they're there... I guess I don't begrudge them that, I mean, everybody needs somebody, and maybe that's the closest they get.

Still, I gotta put this up there with facebook poking- wasteful and odd, and pretty much pointless. Thumbs down guys, thumbs down.