Wednesday, March 10, 2021

New Realities.

  

 

The Biden $1.9 trillion stimulus bill is about to be passed by House. After a long time of proposals and being in the Senate, the time has come for Biden to sign the bill into law soon. It will take a community of people to establish a real economic recovery. Over 70 percent of the American people want this bill to be passed into law. Vice President Kamala Harris has announced funding to help address the coronavirus inequalities. We know that far right Republicans are wrong in their policies. Also, centrist Democrats like Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema (who refuse to vote against the filibuster) are wrong to oppose a $15 minimum wage and refused to support the economic bill until that proposal was gone from the bill. Now, we have the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act being passed by the House. Both bills are in the Senate. The filibuster is not even in the Constitution, but it has been used historically to suppress civil rights and voting rights. We reject the big lie that Trump won the 2020 election, and Trump has glorified violence for years. 43 GOP Senators voted to acquit Trump in 2021 which is totally wrong. The goal is not token bipartisanship. The goal is increasing the minimum wage, protecting and enhancing voting rights, eliminating police brutality, having universal health care, and saving our environment.

 

Many people are talking about the bombshell interview that Oprah had with Megan Markle (Duchess of Sussex) and Prince Harry. The special lasted for 2 hours. The couple are known for their split with the Royal family as they are living in America. Meghan said that some people in the Royal family worried about how dark the color of her child would be. She or Meghan admitted that she had thoughts of suicide, because of the pressures that she has experienced with her royal title. Meghan's allegation of racism should come as no shock, especially to black people. For centuries, the British Royals have been complicit in colonialism, imperialism, racism, and monarchical authoritarianism. Megan Markle didn't reveal the names of the people who made the racist comment about the baby's skin color as it would be damaging to that person. Prince Harry said that Charles doesn't talk to him regularly. Prince Harry said that he left the country, because of racism and other reasons. It's not a secret that many tabloids in the UK went too far on many occasions to characterize Markle and Harry. It was a sad interview, and it reminds us that racism and bigotry are not just found in America. These evils are found globally. There is always no excuse to demonize babies, to demonize black women, or to demonize any woman.  The irony is that us black Americans saw this a mile away.

 

Protests have existed today in Minneapolis over the police murder of George Floyd. The trial of Chauvin is about to start soon. Many former Minneapolis police officers will face trial for George Floyd's murder. Chauvin was the person who placed his knee on Floyd's neck causing his death. As other people have said, the system has a serious problem with institutional racism, the criminal justice system having disparities, and a huge problem of police brutality.  The police have huge privileges involving a trial that non-police citizens never have. During the trial, Floyd's name will be slandered by the defense team like usual. These things have nothing to do with the event at hand. The truth is that we want a better society where communities are not treated as occupied subjects but as equal human beings. We desire accountability and justice being forthrightly advocated in our world. The NY Times reported about some people fearing that white racist groups may descend in Minneapolis after some of them rioted at the U.S. Capitol. I believe in black liberation. The tape of George Floyd outlined what happened as his death was cruel and unjust. Floyd's neck was held down for 9 minutes. That is why heroic activists (who oppose police terrorism) have been out in force to make their voices known about this important issue in America.

  

Today is a solemn year which is the 56th year anniversary of Blood Sunday and the Selma Voting Rights Movement overall that existed in 1965. This is the first Bloody Sunday anniversary where John Lewis is not physically here to live through. This event was part of the Selma Voting Rights Movement. Back then, tons of black people were readily not allowed to vote, not allowed to register to vote, and had huge obstacles in expressing their human rights. The Selma movement suffered from tons of police brutality and murder by racists. People among many colors came together to promote the right to vote for the black community. John Lewis, Ameila Boynton, and other people wanted to march to Montgomery to let their voices to be heard. The police on the bridge prevented the protesters to cross the bridge. Later, the police used batons, horses, and other weapons to beat the peaceful protesters brutally. Many people were almost killed. Many ran into homes for safety. Some came into a church for protection. The police brutality was so unjust, that the voting rights movement gained more support. Later, the protesters were turned back a second time because of an injunction (called Turnabout Tuesday). On the third time, they finally crossed the bridge to go into Montgomery, Alabama. The Voting Rights Act was passed on August of 1965. Now, in 2021, we face new challenges with Georgia and other states proposing bills that restrict automatic voting registration, mail in ballots, and voting in many different ways. These bills are similar to Jim Crow bills. That is why the House passed real voting rights legislation. The struggle continues, but we will win in the end.


 

It always important to honor black culture's love of our hair. For those (who are racists and others) who demonize people with weaves, natural hair, or hair in diverse ways, my response to them: They're completely wrong. As human beings, we have the right to wear our as we see fit and not concern ourselves with what the haters think. For thousands of years, our people (with swag) have shown our hair in a diversity of ways and colors. For all of these years, we recognize the dignity of human hair regardless if it exists in 1a or 4c. I'm really confounded by the fact that some evil folks are more concern about a person's hair in such derogatory ways than our environment, our health care, and our basic human rights. We shouldn't apologize for wearing our hair in diverse ways. Human freedom is about recognizing our value and realizing that our legitimate forms of expression are truly sacrosanct. 

 

By Timothy
 

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