The Ashiest Room in DC

With nary a proper fade, sharp line, or lick of common sense amongst them, a group of coontastic GOP acolytes, unfortunately possessing the magic of Mother Nature’s melanin in their skin, assembled on Friday to pay their fealty toward habanero Hitler. This gathering, coined the “Young Black Leadership Summit,” was a collection of lost souls who actually feel being a Black conservative in America, circa 2018, is something to be publicly proud of. Promoted by twitter personality and flip-flop charlatan Candace Owens, who seems to run from hairdressers and the truth at equal pace, this summit was supposed to be where young Black conservatives would “hear from some of the nation’s most well-known conservative leaders and activists, receive first-class professional development and leadership training, and network with other attendees and organizations from all across the country.” All of which sounds like cover for a bullshit assembly designed to be a photo op for Trump with Black people right before midterms.

Rumors circulated early on that the people in the audience were hired actors being compensated by Republican special interest groups. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that they weren’t paid to act; They were just paid to be the boot-licking idiots they are. On the Turning Point USA website under “Participant Costs,” it reads: “Admission to this event will be free to all attendees. TPUSA will also be covering lodging at no cost to the attendee for the nights of October 25th-October 27th (checking out the 28th). Lunch will be provided on Saturday, October 27th and brunch on Sunday, October 28th.” Turning Point also provided a form to fill out if a “Travel Stipend” was needed to get to DC. So, the only way they successfully gathered approximately 200 (not the 400 they lied about) Black people willing to be public embarrassments to themselves, their parents, their race, and their assumed intelligence, was to bribe them with free food, free lodging, and free or prorated travel. Sounds like a handout for just showing up, AMIRITE? I thought Black conservatives were supposed to be against that kinda thing?!? Hell, most Black people don’t even show up for free food at parties unless they get an acceptable answer to the time honored question: “who all over there?”
 
Speaking of which, the list of presenters was a laughable cornucopia of people who aren’t even claimed by a majority of the Black American community. It included the usual token folks that GOPers trot out to prove they actually know at least one Black person (Ben Carson, Kay C. James), failed Black “celebrities” (Stacey Dash, Larry Elder), some people looking for youtube fame (David Harris, Jr., Brandon Tatum, Maj Toure and Clay Dub), and a dude who has probably written one of those “A Nigerian Prince Has Left You Money” email scams a time or two (Colion Noir, real name Collins Iyare Idehen, Jr.). Who would rate the “professional development and leadership training” these people offered “first class”….Spirit Airlines? The only profession any of these folks seem to be successful at is tap dancing for white folks and kissing the GOP’s ass. They really needed to hold a four day summit for that?

Back to the main event. Instead of being a world leader and addressing the details surrounding the apprehension of #MAGABomber Cesar Sayoc, Trump decided to hold a pep rally in the East Room of the White House. He spent around 45 minutes lecturing the group of red hatted sycophants with his routine of exaggerated lies, peppered with non sequiturs, and they lapped it up like the trained house pets they were. In between their shouts of “USA! USA!” Trump ran through his usual talking points: making up things he’s done (gained more favor with African American voters) and taking credit for things he didn’t do (the Unemployment rate). He also made sure to mention Kanye West: “For example, we are grateful to Kanye West, how about Kanye? How about Kanye? I don't know. …And -- and one of the polls just comes, Kanye leaves -- and Kanye's really a great guy, he's a little different, do we say? He's a little different. But he has -- he's a smart guy and a good guy. …he's really something very, very special and interesting and I see why people like him. …So -- so I think Kanye -- he may be the most powerful man in all of politics, right?” This backhanded compliment all but confirms that although he’s grateful for the support he, too, thinks Kanye is koo-koo. It has also been said that West is the designer behind the “Blexit” shirts handed out on Saturday at the summit. Koo-koo birds of a feather flocking together AND wearing matching merch? That doesn’t sound like indoctrination AT ALL {/sarcasm font}.

One of the more disheartening things about the summit was the commentary shared from attendees who bought into Trump’s completely unsubstantiated rants about immigrants “taking jobs from the Black community” hook, line and sinker. Two of them even tried to argue with journalist Roland Martin about it, one shouting about taco stands taking over, and the other yelling out nonsensical stats like he had Tourette’s. (WHO is mad about taco stands tho? EVERYONE LOVES TACOS. Maybe you need to invest in taco stands instead of whatever crappy product you’re peddling, my guy. Just saying.) This messaging is completely on brand for the summit, which was supported and funded by groups like the Leadership Institute, The Heritage Foundation, and Campus Reform. These groups fuel conservative ideals against immigration (of brown people), working tirelessly to preserve white supremacy…and what better way to preserve white supremacy than to pit those being oppressed against each other? The divide and conquer tactic of minorities (and poor people) isn’t new; it is a tale as old as time, from slavery overseers to the Southern Strategy to the defeat of the Black Panther Party by the US Government. It looks as though the Trump Administration and the GOP have found a prized pretty pony in Candace Owens and the multitude of Stephens who showed up for this “summit.” Once again, rich white men in America are looking to Black people to do some heavy lifting in safeguarding their positions of power. Unfortunately, there are young Black people who are willing to throw the shackles around their own necks for the price of a cheap weekend in Washington, DC, and a free t-shirt with a crappy design. What a time to be alive.

Megyn KKKelly LEARNED Today

(A version of this post first appeared on the citizen.education website.)

Time to take out the trash…

Last year amid side eyes and confusion, former Fox News Host Megyn KKKelly, awash in white privilege, was gifted her own morning show on NBC. From the start, Kelly seemed an odd and unwelcome choice to the Today show line up; Her brand, which usually caters to obtuse, bottom feeding, nitwits that think “fair and balanced” means “bigoted rhetoric only white people who vote against their best interests believe,” doesn’t really match a partisan neutral, family station like NBC.

The previous 9 AM slot, a ratings leader hosted by venerated veteran Al Roker and walking, talking #BlackGirlMagic, Tamron “your fave could NEVA” Hall, was doing great, and the change seemed antithetical to the progress the network was making. It felt like a move by somebody who wanted to Make Morning Shows Great Again. Most people saw this for what it was—a whitewashing of the daytime lineup, and the National Association of Black Journalists even released a statement calling NBC to the carpet. Yet, NBC persisted.

In September, “Megyn Kelly Today” debuted with special guests, the cast of Will and Grace. It took no time at all for her true colors to come shining through. Kelly surprised a Will and Grace superfan with tickets to a taping of the show. She awkwardly joked not once, but twice about the fan’s sexuality. Debra Messing, replying to those who questioned her appearance on the episode, informed the public that the cast didn’t even know they were going to KKKelly’s show. Which lends credence to the rumors that NBC was having a rough time booking celebrities who weren’t already on their payroll to come and chat it up with Aryan Pride Barbie. The show consistently floundered; Megyn’s constant gaffes as she tried to be a real girl instead of the wooden trash she’s made of, gave her show publicity for all the wrong reasons. She was out of her element having to talk to normal Americans instead of Fox News viewers, and the struggle translated into terrible ratings. The third hour of Today was down nearly 30% in their key demographic.

In her latest show of incompetence and inherent racism, KKKelly decided to question why it’s wrong for white people to wear blackface for Halloween.  Lemme say that again: THIS FOOL WANTS TO KNOW WHY IT IS WRONG FOR WHITE PEOPLE TO WEAR BLACKFACE FOR HALLOWEEN. Which indicates that she understands that it’s wrong, in GENERAL, but for ONE DAY? Y’all gon’ police racism on the ONE DAY she’s supposed to be able to get away with it? Y’all can’t let her have this ONE DAY?!?! What is WRONG with y’all? Y’all have Bella Noche’d Megyn’s holiday! Y’all upsetting her and her homegirls, because they feel like, well damn, if you can’t go full racist on Halloween, when the hell can you go?!?!?

Turns out never, if you want to keep a job that isn’t on Fox News. On Thursday, Oct. 25th, 2018—one year and one month after the debut of her horrible show, KKKelly has been fired amid the blackface backlash. Now, you can imagine her shock and confusion, seeing as though back in 2013, while on her previous network, it was perfectly fine for her to spew ignorance as fact by saying Santa Claus, a fictional character actually based on a Greek/Turkish man, was “just white.” Megyn tried to calm all the little klansmen in training by stating: “And by the way, for all you kids watching at home, Santa just is white. But this person is just arguing that maybe we should also have a black Santa, but Santa is what he is, and just so you know, we’re just debating this ’cause someone wrote about it, kids.” Did she stop there? OH NO. She then went on to say that Jesus, of Nazareth, born in a manger in Bethlehem, a Galilean Jew who died in Jerusalem, was also white. And that it was just a fact: “Jesus was a white man, too… He was a historical figure, that’s a verifiable fact, as is Santa. I just want the kids watching to know that.” I would just like to remind everyone that Galilee is in close proximity to the countries we know today as Syria and Iraq—the homelands of people good ol’ “Christian" Fox viewers love to hate. I’d also like to remind folks that “The Kelly File” aired at 9 PM on weeknights. Megyn thinking “kids” were actually up watching her show is almost as confusing as her thinking Santa is real and Jesus is white.

KKKelly’s show being pulled off the air is definitely the proper response to her comments, her lack of awareness, her lack of talent, and her overall garbage existence. Yet, we still have to question WHY she was given the job in the FIRST place. It’s not like she has ever shown a penchant for factual journalism or possesses likability. But THIS is who NBC overlooked Tamron Hall for. THIS is who NBC paid $69 Million to, TWENTY TIMES more than Tamron was paid. THIS is who NBC built a $10 Million studio for. Of of the myriad ways to waste money, THIS is how NBC chose to do so, and rumor has it there’s no way out of fulfilling that $69 Million contract, even though Megyn only “earned” $20 Million since the show was cancelled in the first year. Meanwhile, Tamron is outchea living her best life on another network, and throwing expert shade at the network that picked White mediocrity over Black excellence (as is routine on a daily basis in all industries across America.…*sigh*).

I don’t know if NBC has ever taken such a huge L, between the ratings drop, the damaged reputation, the blowback AND the millions? That’s quite a hit. But what can they expect when they hire and validate proven racists like KKKelly and her ilk?

Guess they gon’ learn TODAY. 

Immigration: Good Only When White

(A version of this post first appeared on the citizen.education website.)

Looking like he was fresh out of a tanning bed where the color control was set somewhere between “pumpkin pie” and “apple cider,” our Idiot in Chief decided to rile up his racist base by speaking on immigration again Tuesday.

In his statement full of falsehoods, fallacies, and fictitious fantasies, he claimed that the migrant caravan currently moving north from Central America contained MS-13 gang members and Middle Eastern terrorists, financed by Venezuelan leftists and “the democrats, maybe.” Ooook…let’s pretend that the migrants aren't currently running FROM MS-13 gang members. Let’s also assume that Middle Eastern terrorists can’t think of more convenient ways to enter America than flying to Central America, trekking over a THOUSAND miles, on FOOT, through various countries, for MONTHS. (Not to mention Middle Eastern and African immigrants accounted for only 0.7% of border apprehensions last year.) The caravan being funded by “Venezuelan leftists,” when the country of Venezuela is literally in economic free-fall, has to be one of the most laughable parts. WHO is funding a mass exodus of thousands of people? WHAT exactly is being funded—their lack of food, water and shelter? WHEN and WHERE were these funds supposedly collected? HOW are the funds being disbursed? And WHY? What would the end goal even be?!? Proof to back Trumpito’s ramblings is non-existent. He’s actually admitted this. There is absolutely no proof. But facts and truth don’t really matter to anyone in this administration, as demonstrated by Puppet Pence’s presence and support of these nonsensical claims, and Sarah Sanders’ routine doubling down on lies.

If we looked beyond the smoke and funhouse mirrors of this white house, we would see that this administration doesn’t have a problem with immigrants coming to the United States; they only have a problem with certain kinds and colors of immigrants that are coming. As demonstrated by his “shithole countries” remark back in January of this year, the tangerine tyrant isn’t too keen on people that don’t look like him coming to the good ol’ US of A. Yet, people of the paler hue are welcomed with open arms, namely his mail order bride’s wife’s parents. In fact, Melania’s mom and dad became United States citizens through the same program he decried as a dirty process. In a November 2017 tweet, he stated “CHAIN MIGRATION must end now! Some people come in, and they bring their whole family with them, who can be truly evil. NOT ACCEPTABLE!” Two months later, his in-laws took advantage of it, and gained their citizenship. It reminds me of an old saying prevalent in the south: “If you’re White, you’re alright, if you’re Brown, stick around, if you’re Black, stay back.” In Trump’s America, however, the 2018 remix would be “If you’re White, you’re alright AND SCREW THE REST OF YOU.” 

So the Devil Went Down To Georgia...To Disenfranchise Black Voters

(A version of this post first appeared on the citizen.education website.)

You know that phrase “This ain’t yo mama’s civil rights movement,” coined around 2014, during the time of the Ferguson protests? Turns out, it might be a little inaccurate. The civil rights movements of the 50’s and 60’s were focused on equal rights for minorities, namely the right to vote. Since the abolition of slavery, legal voter suppression tactics were commonplace in the form of poll taxes, literacy tests, and plain ol’ physical intimidation, often times leading to death. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 put a stop to most of them, but if you think a white man with a plan to oppress minorities will be denied? You have another think coming. It took an entire century for minorities to actually gain the right to vote, free of charge, yet in just half that time, the Republican Party has figured out cheat codes to work around the 15th Amendment. Since 2008, more than 30 of our 50 states have introduced laws that support voter suppression, and since 2011, 22 states have passed the stricter measures. I’ll give you a hint as to why: it rhymes with “Yo Mama became Resident of the United States.” Looks like we are right back to the same issues of our parent’s (and grandparent’s) civil rights movement.

Just this past weekend, a student has his phone physically ripped away from him by Georgia Senator David Purdue, when he asked Purdue about his support of a candidate who is currently practicing voter suppression. The Senator was at a Georgia Tech game stumping for Secretary of State (and chief election official) Brian Kemp, a Republican currently running for Governor against Stacey Abrams, a Black woman and Democrat. Kemp has been accused of holding up 53,000 new voter registration applications, mostly of minorities and women. The applicants are marked “pending” by Kemp’s office because of Georgia’s “exact match” law, newly passed last year. Some of the things that can hinder an “exact match” approval are a missing hyphen in a last name, a discrepancy between a maiden name and a married name, or a misspelling in government records. As a person whose name is misspelled CONSTANTLY, I completely understand the angst and trepidation a law like this creates. Nobody has a problem spelling “Becky” or “Brett”, but as soon as LaTasha or Jamon turn in their registrations, all kinds of problems occur. White people can spell Tchaikovsky by heart but can’t type Aaliyah without stroking out. Hell, my first name only has three letters of the alphabet in it and people STILL find a way to add more. The insidiousness of this law is that it disproportionately affects minorities—in this case, those more apt to vote for Abrams. The race in Georgia is said to be a toss up, and 53,000 votes could make or break a candidate.

Not to be outdone in racism new voter legislation, North Carolina enacted a law that has effectively shut down 20 percent of their early voting locations. In an effort to throw the rock and hide their hand, they claim the *hours* available for early voting won’t be reduced, just a small change in *days* available, eliminating the Saturday before the election. The hours usually allocated to that Saturday have now been dispersed throughout the week, making 12 hour days for polling volunteers. Without the manpower to work these new hours, polling places have been forced to close. Minority voters are said to be the main beneficiaries of early voting, due to work and transportation hinderances on weekdays. What day do they mostly show up? You guessed it: the last Saturday before the election. In 2016, 200,000 people voted on that day alone. By eliminating this day, minority votes are exponentially annihilated.

The south isn’t the only place minorities are being disenfranchised; this week, North Dakota’s controversial ID laws were confusingly upheld by the Supreme Court. The law requires residents to now show identification with a current *street* address and not their tribal government issued ID cards which only show a PO Box, as they have always done in the past (and even in the primaries, which occurred weeks ago). Just one problem with that whole street address thing: the Native American North Dakotans who live on reservations, numbering in the tens of thousands, do not have street addresses. I bet you’re wondering who Native Americans have a tendency to vote for. Hint: it ain’t Republicans.

Voter fraud is practically non-existent in Georgia, North Carolina, North Dakota and the ENTIRE country, so these measures obviously aren’t about maintaining the integrity of the process. On the contrary, these republican led initiatives are made for one thing and one thing only: to stop the people who traditionally vote against their party from doing so. For anybody out there who still thinks voting is futile, I ask you this: if it didn’t matter, why are these old white men going through so much trouble to stop you from doing it?

Bizarro World Shenanigans

If 2018 hasn’t been confusing enough for you, here’s a little conundrum to ponder: while Kanye “slavery was a choice” West is running around here in MAGA hats and supporting Donald Trump, his arch nemesis, Taylor “we still don’t know how you won that VMA over Beyonce´ but whatever” Swift is throwing her public support behind the democrats running for Congress in her home state of Tennessee. Yes folks, you read that right: that leggy loaf of Wonder Bread who crafts an ear worm like no other; the patron saint of melanin deficient, boy-crazy basicness; the poster girl for all things vanilla pop; THAT TAYLOR SWIFT is pledging to vote blue in a red state, while Ye is supporting red pols in a blue state. What. Is. Happening.

On Sunday, October 7th, Taylor released an IG post that broke from her usual silence on politics. It was provocative! It got the people going! She denounced republican incumbent Marsha Blackburn, stating Blackburn’s abysmal voting record as the reason they now have bad blood. If her declaration on behalf of democrats wasn’t sufficient, Tay-Tay is also encouraging all her followers, which includes a huge chunk of 18-23 year olds, to register, vote, and follow her lead. This, of course, lead to the inevitable by racists angry, dejected fans: public displays of lighting her (already purchased and profited off of) merchandise on fire and decrying her choices.

The burning question I have, however, is this: HOW TF IS TAYLOR SWIFT MORE WOKE THAN KANYE WEST RIGHT NOW? I mean, I’m sure it has something to do with his proximity to the succubus that is Kris Kardashian Jenner and her cambion daughters (I mean, their initials *are* KKK…), along with a refusal to medicate for his Bipolar disorder, but…STILL. This is the same dude who, on national television, uttered the words “George Bush does not care about Black people” while we watched New Orleans drowning in Katrina’s waters and her people abandoned on rooftops. This is the same dude who, on his first album, said “Now n---as can't make it to ballots to choose leadership/ But we can make it to Jacob's and to the dealership/ Swear I hear new music and I just don't be feelin' it/ Racism's still alive, they just be concealin' it”. THE SAME DUDE that said "Meanwhile the DEA/ Teamed up with the CCA/ They tryna lock n---as up/ They tryna make new slaves/ See that's that privately owned prison/ Get your piece today” on one of his more recent albums. Ye went from rapping about how the government oppresses minorities he identified with to embracing a fascist looney toon that is literally locking little brown children up in concentration camps, all the while saying he won’t be “bullied” into believing fat meat is greasy. Woof. I don’t claim to know the late Ms. Donda West’s politics, but I’m led to believe this ain’t how she raised him to be.

On the other hand, Taylor Swift, who is probably aware that a large portion of her fan base are children of (and members of) the 53 percenters, is willing to put her career aspirations to the side and stand for what is good, right and just. Taylor Swift, whose lyrics are pretty much all about boys, having fun with boys, falling in love with boys, breaking up with boys, having fun with her girls without boys, etc. etc., is using her real life voice to stand up for minorities with her vote. Taylor Swift, who (in my honest opinion) sometimes can’t hold a note in a bucket when performing live, is holding up her fist in solidarity to resist and reject those who stand with the tangerine tyrant. TAYLOR SWIFT, who was ACTUALLY BULLIED on stage by Hennessy fueled Kanye West, is standing with people who don’t look like her, love like her, or identify gender-wise like her, because she knows that her stance has weight and can change THEIR lives for the better. She’s a very rich, very famous white woman in America—it’s safe to say she’s fine when it comes to how the government affects her personally. She doesn’t even have skin in this game, yet she’s acting more like skinfolk to minorities than a person who is actual. skinfolk. We are firmly in Bizzaro world.

To add insult to injury, Kanye is supposed to be meeting with Pumpkin Spice Putin (you know, because he’s the gross American version…and he looks like a bloated orange gourd) YET AGAIN. To discuss what, heaven only knows. While he’s kissing up to dictators, I think I’ll remove his albums from my iTunes library and make room for an album or two from Tay-Tay. Well…maybe not a whole album, but some singles for sure. I might even dedicate one to Ye…namely WE ARE NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER. #KanyeIsCancelled

for white women who consider commenting when being quiet is ENUF

(A version of this post first appeared on the citizen.education website.)

Oh boy. Another well meaning white woman has placed her pretty, porcelain-toned foot in her mouth again. And…it’s one I actually like. Help, Fatha. *facepalm*

Bette Midler, who has earned much deserved praise for being a national theatre treasure and a sassy-as-can-be critic of Mango Mussolini, committed a giant misstep last night when she resurrected Yoko Ono’s 1969 trash-ass quote “Woman is the ni**er of the World.” I could write 5,674 paragraphs on how this is one of the most asinine, offensive comparisons ever made, but I’mma save my breath.  Because it doesn’t make a difference. Because when Yoko Ono got flamed for it back then, she and John Lennon just doubled down and made a SONG out of the s#!t three years later. Yes, Beatle John Lennon. Yes, “Imagine” John Lennon. Let’s face it: No matter their race, most (if not ALL) of our faves are problematic AF.

Bette wandered into this minefield while attempting to make a point about the blatant disrespect and oppression women across the planet have experienced, in light of the travesty happening on the hill re: Brett Kavanaugh. Her tweet went on to say: “Raped, beaten, enslaved (‘scuse me? Um…I’m still trying to figure out what woman of European background was “enslaved”, but I’mma let you finish), married off, worked like dumb animals; denied education and inheritance (or reparations…but go ‘head….); enduring the pain and danger of childbirth (Black women 3-4 times MORESO than any other race of women, but still…keep on talking…) and life IN SILENCE for THOUSANDS of years[.] They are the most disrespected creatures on earth [sic].”

People came in hot and fast, letting Ms. Bette know she was on that bullshit. Did she stop, *slide biggity bounce* pause, *shiggity wash it twerk it* and look at God, while contemplating why she was wrong?(My Louisiana people know that reference.) Nah, not at first. She did what any self-righteous tweeter in 2018 does when they are called out: made the situation worse by trying to explain why they were indeed, right the first time. Her follow up tweet read: “I gather I have offended many by my last tweet. ‘Women are the…etc’ is a quote from Yoko Ono from 1972, which I never forgot. It rang true then, and it rings true today, whether you like it or not (ORLY BISH?!?!). This is not about race, this is about the status of women; THEIR HISTORY."

Bette. Ma’am. How you gon’ say something *isn’t* about race when CLEARLY you used race as a descriptor in trying to emphasize and support your claim?!? That’s not how this works. THAT’S NOT HOW ANY OF THIS WORKS.  Folks tried again to help her, some even pointing out the obvious, that BLACK WOMEN ACTUALLY STILL EXIST (therefore this wrongheaded comparison shouldn’t…), but good ol’ Bette wasn’t having it. Mama's talkin' loud. Mama's doin' fine. Mama's gettin' hot. Mama's goin' stong.

Next, she tweeted a snippet of Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow’s New Yorker article detailing the humiliation of Kavanaugh supporter and subject of lascivious limericks, Renate Dolphin, captioned: “SEE WHAT I MEAN??” No Bette. We don’t see it. You know what we see? “From a distance, you look like my friend”, but lady we just cannot comprehend WHY YOU WON’T STOP AND LISTEN TO WHAT WE ARE SAYING! Is the wind beneath your wings that hazy and dense?

After HOURS of people attempting to explain why the FIRST tweet was inappropriate, the SECOND tweet was unacceptable, and the THIRD tweet was damn near abominable, Bette offered this olive branch, in hopes of correcting her course: “The too brief investigation of allegations against Kavanaugh infuriated me. Angrily I tweeted w/o thinking my choice of words would be enraging to black women who doubly suffer, both by being women and by being black. I am an ally and stand with you; always have. And I apologize.”

Now, because I am a reasonable person, and tend to take people at their word (when they don’t have a track record of being completely obtuse), I accept Ms. Midler’s apology. I realize that she is a woman of a certain age, who may or may not be well versed in how to conduct herself on social media with the caution and care necessary in today’s reactionary times. (Bette wasn’t ready for the furor that is Black twitter, y’all. They have #Canceled her…even though 65% of them didn’t even know who she was in the first place TO cancel. LMAO) Look—we’re human. We make mistakes. And the most accurate measure of a person’s maturity and willingness to learn is their being able to admit said mistakes and earnestly apologizing for them (even if it takes a few hundred tweets explaining why you’re wrong, and a few hours for the realization to kick in…*sigh*). Bette’s past actions and commentary lead me to believe she is a genuine ally to minorities, who deserves a second chance. She earnestly didn’t know why she was wrong. Now she does. Let’s move forward…but keep this in her file for reference. *side eye*

As a hardline, general rule? White women, lissen. Listen to me. Please.
Don’t you EVA *clap* NOT *clap* NEVA *clap clap clap* compare yourselves to another marginalized group in order to prove you’re oppressed. There is ENOUGH injustice to go around, and we don’t need qualifiers. Y’all are still #2 on the totem pole of world domination, and at least 53% of you in this country are fighting tooth and nail to maintain said position. Yes, women are ABSOLUTELY being maltreated in every corner of the globe. But what we’re NOT finna do is act like being considered a “ni**er” AND a woman isn’t a herculean load to carry for BLACK WOMEN. The irony of saying and thinking people treat “ni**ers” SO bad in this country, that women can be classified as “the ni**ers of the WORLD” isn’t lost on me. The problem is, ni**ers are still treated as ni**ers all over the world too, madam. Whether YOU like it or not, the oppression olympics is one contest you will never win.

Rose, the iconic character Bette portrayed in the musical “Gypsy,” laments in her final number: “Why did I do it? What did it get me?” I hope Ms. Midler is somewhere reflecting on this faux pas and pledging to do better in the future, and that white women who claim to be allies use this as a cautionary tale. Yes, you have every right to lament about your oppression, just not at the expense of other people who have it as bad as, if not WORSE than you. Measure your words carefully, and proceed with caution. Phone a minority friend before you tweet if necessary. Be thoughtful, not harmful. If you choose otherwise, we’ll all be singing another line from that song: “Thanks a lot and out with the garbage.” 

Rape Apologists Raise Funds for Raggedy (alleged) Rapist

(A version of this post first appeared on the citizen.education website)

In today’s latest installment of “Losing My Faith In Humanity”… *sigh*
Brett Kavanaugh, the drunken frat boy who is wholly unfit to sit on any bench (let alone one in the highest court of the land), apparently has a bevy of sympathizers willing to come up out of their pockets and pensions to show their support…and ignorance. Started by John Hawkins of Ocean Isle Beach, NC, a Go Fund Me page for “Brett Kavanaugh’s Family” has raised over $500K in 8 days. Half a million dollars. For a privileged white man who is gainfully employed and looking for a raise. For a man who owns a $1.2 Million dollar home in Chevy Chase. For a man who will earn a pension somewhere around $250K a year. Really? Far be it from me to spend other people’s money, but I’m sure there are causes more worthy than this.

Johnny boy, whose claim to fame is running the “Right Wing News” website where he’s touted as the “blogosphere’s premier interviewer” (and he’s verified on Twitter AND Facebook, THANK YOU VERY MUCH), fears for Brett’s safety and wants his family to be taken care of in this “very scary time for young men in America” (side eye to salmon colored Satan for that nonsense). John says the money will go toward security detail for the Kavanaugh Klan, or be used “however they see fit”. He doesn’t personally know Kavanaugh—as is made evident in every update he’s posted on the account, detailing his attempts to get in touch with the family. John has contacts that know people that know Kavanaugh…maybe. I’m guessing this is a friend of a friend’s sister’s cousin’s hairdresser’s FedEx guy that delivers Brett’s kegs on a weekly basis? Who knows. As of the latest update, he has talked to a staffer that knows the judge and was told it may take a little while before they get an answer as to what to do with the money.

What’s most surprising (read: ABSOLUTELY EXPECTED BECAUSE 53%ers ARE TRASH) is the number of women who have contributed to this campaign. At the time of this writing, the “most raised from sharing” distinction goes to Ms. Dori Medina, whose social network apparently consists of people who think Brett has gotten a raw deal and have collectively raised $105 toward the effort. Dori, I could name about 50 other charities that could put that $105 toward MUCH better use, namely RAINN, the National Sexual Assault Hotline. They experienced an unprecedented 200% increase in call volume during Kavanaugh’s hearing and, according to their website, are still having longer than usual wait times. The irony of this situation is quite disheartening: Assault survivors finally feel brave enough to share their stories, yet 11,813 people feel the man accused of attempted rape and other sexual deviances is the one who needs protection. I admittedly haven’t done the math, but I’d wager at least 53% of those eleven thousand are white women. These people should all be ashamed of themselves. Next time they inquire as to why women don’t report sexual assault? They should check their bank and credit card statements.