Why Trump Won

It's not deep; it's not some long scientific explanation or nuanced conversation; Trump won because 59 million people in this country are deplorables.

When Hillary Clinton called Trump supporters, deplorables during her campaign, Conservatives and Republicans lost their minds, and even wishy washy Liberals thought she should have apologized, but she was telling the unadulterated truth. In fact, I would imagine had she had a penis the fallout would have been a lot less (Yes, I used the woman, sexism card, because it is true, especially as far as she is concerned).

But even more than being deplorable individuals, 59 million of you said Trump's racism, sexism, Islamphobia, homophobia, xenophobia, and any other phobias, were not enough of a deal breaker for you to put our country and its success over your personal selfish needs.

Fifty-nine million of you said your hatred for Hillary was more important than having a competent, inclusive leader.

Fifty-nine million of you said, upholding white supremacy was more important than this country's best interests. Sixty-two percent of white men, and 53 percent of white women voted for him. Let me put this in numbers that you can understand: For ever 200 white people who voted, (there are millions), 115 of you voted for Trump. So you can stop blaming those who didn't vote, the Democratic Party for choosing Hillary (Bernie would not have won either), Millennials, third party voters, etc. My white brothers and sister, this is totally on you. You are the majority! If you didn't personally vote for Trump, I am sure that some of your fellow family members, neighbors, and friends did.

And just like many of us who did not vote for the orange Cheeto suspected, he is filling his cabinet with white nationalists, misogynists, homophobic individuals, Islamphobic individuals, in essence: a basket of deplorables~

So you can stop with the "not all white people rhetoric", you can stop with the faux tears and the move on messages, you can stop with the I am not racist and some of my best friends are black, you can stop with the we are all brothers and sisters talk. When you stepped into the voting booth and voted for this "man" (I use that term loosely), you told me and every marginalized person in Amerikkka what you truly thought about us, so save the rhetoric now.

For every marginalized person (blacks, Latinos, black women (white women sold you out by over half voting for Trump), LGBTQ community, the Islamic community, it is time to take inventory of your inner circle. It is time for you to delete those individuals who do not see your worth, who aren't invested in your success, and who are not lending their voice and bodies to fight for your equal rights and treatment.

If you are taking offense to these words, rather than trying to mobilize and fight the orange tyrant who white people just elected, you are part of the problem, and I want nothing to do with you!

Until next time......

Beyonce, CMA's, and Fragile White Tears

Beyonce, along with the blacklisted Dixie Chicks, gave a spell bounding performance at the CMA's on last evening. In fact, it was so iconic, that the CMA's received the highest ratings in over 50 years (White racists would have you believe it is because the show was just that good, (rolls eyes) but we all know that it was because of a surge of blacks and Beyhive stans, who only watched because Beyonce performed).

True to racist form, whites took to social media to express their disgust that Beyonce would perform country music. Guess what? Black accepted Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, Christina Aguilera, Jon B, and countless other whites into the R&B genre, so you'll will just have to deal with Beyonce not only performing at the CMA's, but singing country music period.

Genre is not race specific, nor does any race have the autonomy over who sings a particular genre.

One thing I can say though, at least the real racists came out and spoke their minds.

Their spineless counterparts said more subtle stuff.  For example, "I like Beyonce's older stuff." This is code for I liked it better when I could shake my ass to Beyonce's music and feel good. Once she started singing about black liberation, telling cops to stop shooting and killing us, you all of a sudden only like "her old stuff."

Some even said, "I like her music before she started rapping." When has Beyonce ever rapped? She has collaborated with her husband and Kendrick Lamar, who are hip hop artists, but Beyonce rapping is a new one for me! (rolls eyes).

The CMA organization, who is just as racist, as the people who support them, erased all evidence of Queen Bey's and the Dixie Chicks' mention on their social media accounts, as a response to the backlash of the performance, which was a chickenshit thing to do. If you want to at least appear progressive and inclusive, you make a statement denouncing the racism. Scrubbing your social media accounts shows that you condone the racist behavior.

But what we know about Beyonce' and many of the artists like her, is many racist whites (I didn't say all whites, so calm down) is they like black bodies and appropriating black culture, but they don't like black people.

If racist whites can appropriate, and enjoy black culture, without having to deal with their sordid history of mistreating blacks and dealing with the truth of their racism, they are happy as pigs in slop.

But when artists, and regular every day black folk start speaking the truth, reminding them of their troubling past sins against our culture, and not making them feel good anymore, here come the fragile white tears.

 You are no longer a friend, as an artist, you are no longer talented, you are a race hustler, you are trying to stir up trouble, because racism magically disappeared like fairy dusty and unicorns, some time between your ancestors murdering Dr. King, and Obama becoming POTUS, right?

By the way, I am a black man who loves country music; I love the storytelling aspect, but I despise the racist fans, and the privilege that arise from individuals who try to make it ethnicity and culturally specific.

Get a damn life, Beyonce is still great, and go cry a river to someone who shares your racist views!

Until next time....

The Policing of Black Joy

Tyler Perry's Madea's Halloween movie did a whopping 27.6 million at the weekend box office, and since it took 20 million to make, you have to admit that was a huge victory for Tyler Perry and the actors associated with the film.

Now the Ashy Larrys will come out the woodwork to shame every black person who made this film a success. Who are the Ashy Larrys? These are the black men who identify as straight; yet, are constantly concerned with gaze and approval of other black men; who call women queens as long as they agree with them, accept their misogynistic behavior and convo; yet, you are a bitch, when you don't; usually, they are heavily degreed and well read; yet, rather  than using this education for good, use it to shame and ridicule others who aren't on their level; they are homophobic; class elitists; and have toxic masculinity (masculinity, which really isn't masculinity but as long as it looks that way around their "boys" they are good with it).

These Ashy Larrys in the coming days will call you out of your name for not supporting Nate Parker's Birth of Nation. They will tell you that you are doing the work of white supremacy, while at the same time are so concerned with the white gaze themselves over how Tyler Perry dressed in drag is an assault to black male masculinity (rolls eyes). They will call black women Negro bed wenches; even though African American females made up 60% of the viewing population for Birth of Nation; they will call other black men Uncle Toms, question their sexualities, and be ready to arm wrestle you (like who does that other than 12 year olds?) for not supporting a good black brotha such as Mr. Parker (I bet none of their black asses have read them court transcripts from his rape trial, but whatever; let's not let pesky facts get in the way of good black solidarity (rolls eyes again).

So my response to these Ashy Larrys? Fuck you!

You know why Madea movies do so well? Because being black is hard enough, and we want to laugh sometimes. In addition to the other daily life stuff that we deal with (sickness, death, abuse, employment woes, etc), we have to walk around in this black skin, and sometimes, we like to take a break from the oppression, the daily strife, the racism, and just have a good old belly laugh.

And for 90 minutes or two hours, Tyler Perry gives us that, and the fact that he is not  a rapist, makes it even sweeter.

So enjoy Madea, and remember never let anyone steal your joy!


Until next time....

40 and 1 Month!

I am officially 40 years, and 1 month old today. Out of all my many birthdays, this was the one that I met with extreme anxiety and trepidation! I am talking about the kind of anxiety that had my palms sweaty, my heart beating rapidly, and one that was met with an extreme sense of gloom.

It doesn't help that my mother is only 17 years older than me, and I have witnessed 90% of her milestones in life.

On paper I look good: two degrees, 18 years of experience in my chosen field, actually doing what I attended college for, own my own home; yeah, materialistically speaking, I am a "good black man".

But then there is the other side: I am childless (which is not necessarily a bad thing), single (which is an even greater relief most days), living paycheck to paycheck (yeah, I need to fix that ASAP), and my energy is less (I think that is more a symptom of my age), and unhappy with my jobs (Yes, I have multiple ones).

Earlier today, while pondering my advancing age, and job hatred, I wrote the titles and ideas for seven books.,

Three years ago, I self-published my first one. Since then, I have started on four more, but procrastination, fear, and the busyness of life, have stalled my creativity and my inspiration.

But there is something about being 40 and 1 month. A ticking clock, a sense of urgency, a basic sense of being fed up, and feeling that I am spinning like a hamster on a wheel, that makes me realize that I need to step into my destiny.

I have often been told that I have a way with words; that I would be good at writing books, and I have a plethora of book ideas, but the problem is my follow through. I let life inundate me, when I should be working towards my goals.

What I really want to do is to write books, discuss those books and other life issues with others, guest lecture, give speeches, anything but what I am doing now.

If there is any silver lining to my advanced age, it is a feeling of being unbothered. Unbothered doesn't mean being selfish, uncaring, or a douchebag. For me, it means deciding what I allow to bother me, allowing my needs to take precedent over what is important or necessary to others. Fulfilling my destiny.

Now to get off the proverbial stool of doing nothing, getting rid of complacency, letting go of fear, taking back my life.

Unbothered!

Until next time....

It Took Another White Woman: The Hypocrisy of Trump Supporters

Yesterday, as the big "October surprise" which is common in any election cycle, audio was released of a 2005 interview between NBC correspondent Billy Bush (first cousin to Jeb and Dubya) and Donald Trump. In the released audio, Trump brags about groping women, and basically describes a full on sexual assault. Bush cheers him on, and even encourages his married co-worker, Nancy O'Dell to hug Trump, even though she was the subject of the rapey tirade.

GOP leaders took to social media to denounce Trump's comments (not their endorsements), and feigned disgust.

My question is, where has this disgust been for the last 40 years?

Where was your disgust in the 1970's, when Trump failed to rent to black people, in any of his properties?

Where was your disgust in 1989, when he falsely accused five black men of murder (Central Park 5), and pushed for their executions when DNA evidence later exonerated them?

Where was your disgust in the last 18 months of his campaign where he has likened Mexicans to rapists, all Muslims as terrorists, and basically had venomous things to say about anyone who wasn't white?

Now you are outraged? Why? Because Trump committed a sin, broke the 11th commandment, "Thou shall not disparage or disrespect a white woman!

If you are mad at this statement, where has your anger been the last 40 years of Trump's vileness?

If you are mad at this statement, you should be equally as mad that a reality television producer is the leader of a major political party.

If you are mad at this statement, be mad for the millions of rape victims triggered with PTSD because of Trump's rapey comments.

If you are mad at this statement, be mad for every person of color, who he has managed to offend, disparage, and disrespect over his lifetime!


Until next time.....

I Am Not Going to See Birth of a Nation, and You Will Deal!

Months ago, I wrote about my displeasure over Nate Parker's lack of repentance, empathy, and straight up arrogance after being accused of rape, harassing his victim after the fact, and then the whole story ending in her tragic suicide nearly thirteen years later.

I find it highly distasteful that a man accused of rape would write a screenplay, where there is a rape scene, and then invite the guy, with whom he raped a woman, to co-write with him. But I digress, as  this is not the point of this blog.

My greater issue is that we seem to value art, over the artist,  and over human lives.

Many of you are willing to forego his past transgressions because you really want to see the film. Admit it; there are plenty of other slave narratives (12 Years A Slave, Roots, Queen, etc) executive produced and written by black people, so if it was simply about telling our own stories, there is a plethora of literature and film examples out there. Ultimately, it is that you care more about the art than you do the story, or the artist.

Nate Parker is married to a white woman, any other day you would slander him for it, like you did with OJ, Kobe, MJ, and countless other black men, but again, he has something you want, so you are willing to forego this minor transgression.

Nate Parker is arrogant, narcissistic even; any other black man would be an Uncle Tom, an asshole; again, you are forgiving, make excuses for, and ultimately shrug your shoulders, because you want to see the film.

If Nate Parker were accused of raping your wife, daughter, sister, mother, girlfriend, you would gather up your local posse and perform some street justice, but again, you want to see the film.

You are quick to rally in the streets when policemen kill unarmed black men, and there in the forefront are black women leading the charge. They tell you they have a problem with Nate Parker and his unrepentant, nonchalant attitude about his alleged rape, and you say, "stop trying to tear a brother down"; "we need to see this film," so their feelings, the women who fight so hard on your behalf when the boys in blue take your lives and those who you care about, are tossed aside.

I your fellow brother, fellow black man, sexual trauma survivor, tells you I can't support this film, because it triggers my PTSD, and I don't want to support someone accused of doing something that changed the whole trajectory of my life, and you say "get over it", maybe not literally, but you tell me by spending your money on the film, raving about how good it is, and preaching to me, why I should see it, despite how triggering and traumatic it is for me.

So ultimately it is about the art! And maybe not even the art itself! Maybe, it is about the fact that you need to feel that you are racially aware, "woke", pro-black, this film allows you to prove that!

Because ultimately, regardless of this film, white supremacy will still be a thing, cops will still murder us in the street, our lives still will have lesser value than those of a lighter skin hue, but you got to see good "art", so that is what is most important right?


Until next time.....

Her Name is Patrice Brown, and She is Not Your Bae

They were the pictures that broke the internet. Earlier this week, pictures of a 24 year old Georgia paraprofessional circulated around the internet. The pictures were normal, every day pictures that anyone with an Instagram account would take, but because the lady has curves and is aesthetically gorgeous, they stirred up a great deal of controversy.


Internet haters and admirers alike were so enthralled with the pics that, they named her "Teacher Bae", but her name is Patrice Brown. It is what  her parents named her, I am sure that is what she prefers to be called, so put some respeck on her name!

Black men salivated, which I imagine is  how the name "Teacher Bae" came into existence. They immediately ran to her defense saying they thought she was dressed professionally, how beautiful she was, how much they loved her body! (Because clearly any woman who is sexy, is strictly for a man's viewing pleasure and sexual appetites) (Insert eyeroll here).

Jealous women who themselves do the work of patriarchy just as often as men began the verbal assaults and typical hater comments (She is dressed too sexy for a teacher; she is disturbing the educational process, she looks like she is going to the club, she is promoting pedophilia (I am still scratching my head over the asinine bullshit), she is causing young boys to be oversexualized, etc). The comments were vicious, nauseating, and transformed me back to high school with visions of "mean girls" rather than grown ass women who should be too mature and too busy to be so petty.

You know what I say to all of this? All of you shut the fuck up!

For the men, she is not thinking about your dusty, crusty asses, or else you would have already met her acquaintance. If she was 300lbs and looked like Aunt Esther from Sanford and Son (God rest her soul), you wouldn't give her a second look or care how she was dressed.

For the women, how about uplifting your fellow sister?. Women receive enough bullshit responses from men, why add to another woman's pain by being bitter Bettys and being vicious?

Unless you are paying her bills, giving her a clothing allowance, just shut the fuck up! Oh, I already said that, but it bears repeating because as a society we are too concerned with matters, which don't concern us, too preoccupied with tearing others down, and as black people, we are too focused on the white gaze and acceptance, which I would probably guess most of these comments probably originate from these internal issues.

The school board has reprimanded her, and there is even talk about her possibly losing her job, because of some horny men, and some bitter ass women. All because people feel the need to be keyboard bullies and share their outdated, hypocritical, and judgmental views of how another individual should live his or her life.

What we have learned? I am not talking about Ms. Brown! I am talking about you judgmental assholes, who like to act like tough guys because of the anonymity of the internet.

The lesson here is mind your own  damn business! Because it takes half of your time to mind your own business, and the other half staying the fuck out of everyone else's! Do you get it now?

Until next time....