It’s been one week and five days since election night, and a week and a day after President Elect Joe Biden and Vice President Elect Kamala Harris were called to win this historic 2020 presidential election. It felt like the fate of America rode off this moment. Shoot, it felt like the fate of the world relied on this election honestly.

Since that glorious Saturday morning, when the race was called for the two Democratic leaders, Donald Trump has been claiming a “rigged election”- of course because, ya know sore loser. But when the race was called on November 7th, many of us exhaled a collective sigh of relief. For a moment it felt like things were looking up and hopeful; however, my relief quickly soured into paranoia. I probably should’ve laid off the news, but shortly after Biden-Harris won, 45 continued to 45 and pretty much worked to ruin the moment with his antics. Since then, I feel like I’ve low-key been living with this underlying fear. Seeing the reaction of Far-Right supporters made me want to hide. I’ve even been seriously considering getting armed and moving into a neighborhood I feel more accepted and safer in…it’s 2020 people, and that’s sad. Then the results from exit polls (where you could see the hard divide in race amongst voters) coupled with the rage of 45-supporters, and their migration/slinking to dark corners of the web like effin Parler (where actual bigots now congregate in under the veil of “free speech”) made my mind spiral. It was a lot to take in after experiencing this brief sense of euphoria. I’d say in the aftermath of things, I’m hopeful and the overall weight and stress of this election has been lifted but I’m majorly disappointed in a pretty large subset of people, especially the people I’d assume would understand why the MAGA mentality and it’s bunkered-up leader have been completely toxic to American culture. I seriously won’t be able to look at the American flag the same way for a hot minute, or people I’ve known, or neighborhoods I used to frequent. It all seems tainted to me. I know things can change and perspectives can shift, but right now- I’m just like dang man, you don’t see us or our hearts and you really don’t understand why we see this guy and his Trumpology as a threat.

Of course more strangeness has happened since then…as a matter of fact, yesterday was the lil “Million Maga March,” insert eyeroll here for these people continuously bopping off of Black folks. Seeing them ranting, brawling, (again) diminishing the American flag with bigoted flags and just the hatefulness…was scary. Sigh, this is the country people of color are supposed to feel grateful for. If I ever thought a repeat of the Civil Rights era were to happen, I’d say it would be right now, it’s been insane. But at least world leaders have been acknowledging the historic win with congratulatory messages and well wishes. It kinda let me know this victory wasn’t made up in my mind, we weren’t being gaslit, and the spurious claims of cheating -through a massive conspiracy- were just too ridiculous to fall for.

So all isn’t lost, I have faith. I know there is so much work for us to do and I’m dedicated to the cause. And on top of that, Twitter memes and TikTok have been golden and keeping up my spirits. Gotta laugh to keep from crying right?

Anywho, this is a just another post where I’m in my feelings. I’m feeling good…feeling cautiously optimistic and ready to receive the goodness of the future of our country. We’re stepping into a new era of America. January 20th can’t come soon enough. How are y’all doing after this wild 2020 election? <3

-D. Wright

Happy 4th of July good people! I’m grateful for freedoms I get to experience in this country but will never forget the difficult past of my people… This is the complexity of being a minority in America and specifically (in my case) Black in America. There are some things we will always have different perspectives on but that’s the beauty of cultural experience. We’ll always have something to share and exchange with those willing to listen. Today I celebrate the future of freedom. <3

-D.Wright

This is what freedom looks like…

It’s full of gratefulness and joy. I always think on what it must have felt like June 19, 1865 when my ancestors learned they would be free. We all knew it didn’t look perfect then and it surely doesn’t look perfect now but we were finally able to rebuild our families, consider our futures outside a plantation, think about what we wanted our lives to look like outside of being a slave to someone else’s businesses, wants, and needs.

As a woman, I reflect on being able to have more control of my body and sexuality. I don’t have an owner beating me or abusing me sexually, and don’t have to live through the emotional turmoil of bearing their children. My body is more mine than my ancestors ever got to experience. I don’t take my freedom lightly being a Black Woman in America. And even though things are still rough now, I’m so grateful to the people who came before me. And I celebrate the joy they must have felt, knowing their lives would change forever.

Happy Juneteenth good people. We gon’ be alright! <3

-D. Wright

Photo courtesy of CNBC.

For those of you who have been living under a rock, comedian Kathy Griffin did the unthinkable for a good chuckle this week. That blurred out head you see there, and what’s been described as a piece of “art,” was actually made in the likeness of our current Commander in Covfefe…45 aka Donald Trump. Hear me now. I am NOT a fan of him, I think he’s a classless, chauvinist-bigot that got lucky a majority of his followers felt alienated enough to vote for him. I think he’s a terrible person, a decent business man and possibly the worst President in American history. However, I felt like this desperate attempt for a laugh was ridiculous and definitely inhumane.

Understand, I could care less about what 45 feels about it. I could care less about what his followers, his allies, or even what the White House feels about it. No one seemed to care when Obama was in office and had monkey emails being circulated by the very people he was supposed to lead and life-sized dolls of him being lynched in the streets. People on the Right weren’t even really taking a public stance of condemnation against that “repugnant” behavior but what I care about folks is our humanity. Have we lost it? Have we really gotten so numb and disconnected to where it’s now ok to pretend-kill real people in real life?

Photo courtesy of National Review.

I know it’s pretty hard to believe I could care about this person’s well-being but I do. What Kathy Griffin did was wrong and it was gross! So gross, it’s not even aesthetically sound enough to put up on this blog. I didn’t even get it! I don’t want to get it! And unless you’re in a movie playing Buffalo Bill or trying to win an Oscar, stuff like this is just disturbing. Shoot, even if you’re acting it’s still disturbing! But seriously, 45 is a human…Not a Voodoo doll. I want him out of office, not dead or with a bloody replica of his head in someone’s hands.

And let’s be honest, what she did was the type of behavior we expected from his extreme supporters. To agree with her, or to laugh with her is blatant hypocrisy on a human level even if we felt Obama wasn’t as horrid or as worthy of being knocked off.

Photo courtesy of The Odyssey Online.

But like I said…I don’t like him. He’s still the guy that could care less about the environment, poverty, civil issues, our lives, education, diplomacy, respect and all the other basic principles a solid leader should show concern for. And even though he might make those terrible faces and wear that thing on his head, he’s still a dude. He’s a human being with a body filled with life, maybe not a soul but life nonetheless. I just don’t feel right supporting someone mocking the loss of life because the person is hated or not liked. That’s also strange. It’s not normal. We can’t make extreme, violent behavior normal. She thought we were going to laugh and think it was normal. It’s not.

I’d maybe understand if we were applauding the take down of a violent terrorist group’s leader or folks we’re physically at war with. And the crazy thing is we don’t even really celebrate that! We basically say “got em” and keep it moving.

So here it is folks, don’t go all Huck on us, and fantasize about the thought of someone being lynched, tortured, or beheaded. Check your tendencies and your spirit.

Again Kathy, girl…why?

-D.Wright