On July 6, Sonya Massey, a Black and disabled woman, was shot by former Deputy Sean Grayson. After protests, the body cam footage was released on July 22.
On July 21, President Biden dropped out of the election and endorsed VP Kamala Harris, a Black and South Asian woman.
Like many, especially Black women, I felt a range of emotions. It didn’t take long for me to connect internalized White supremacy and the responses I observed to the reactions I was seeing; specifically, with urgency, either/or thinking, White proximity and fear of open conflict.
For me, I immediately felt anger and sadness that once again Black bodies are needed to prompt national concern. Watching your people being killed on video repeatedly, and then having to protest for justice is a true mind-bending trauma. Feeling frustrated that calls for abolition were being overshadowed by reform policies, with safe language that prioritizes the comfort of White people.
Despite experiencing these emotions, myself and other Black women were urged to advocate for the possibility of having the first Black woman as president. Once again, we were expected to rush with a spirit of urgency, to save a country and party that has consistently failed us.
Now, I will say that in this situation, a few things can be true at the same time. We can feel excitement and joy that leads us to mobilize and fundraise. While also recognizing that rushing leaves little room for analysis. This push was made without any clear demands, campaign platform, and a clear call for accountability with being complacent on past systematic racism and silence on ongoing genocides in places such as Palestine and Congo. And no, mentioning Palestine doesn’t mean that I am a one-issue voter, etc. This is about humanity, not politics.
I do recognize the recent speech calling for a ceasefire. Due to timing and the comments on protestors, it’s hard to assess if it’s genuine. However, I am hopeful and recognize that the switch was a result of continued pressure. We should continue to apply pressure! It’s not an either/or situation. Both the building, mobilizing and fighting will need to take place simultaneously.
It’s important to note that Black people must look past the need to maintain White comfort in our organizing methods, language and focus. Too much compromise can lead to liberation tactics that are whitewashed and rooted in liberalism. Additionally, going past the romancing of identity and representation politics to move towards principled alignment. While Black people are not a monolith and don’t think alike, one thing we should all agree on is that we cannot just relax. We must continue to mobilize and demand a fair society regardless of who is in power.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the complex emotions and trauma that arose for some Black women. From the frustration of yet another of our own being killed by police, to witnessing a Black woman struggle for her reputation, you can already see this starting to occur with VP Harris being labeled as the “DEI candidate.” To some, these are called micro/macro-aggressions but I simply call this racism and it’s not OK. All of us should make an effort to call these instances out.
July 2024, a month where a lot of things happened. And I will continue to address and unpack these things in my upcoming columns. In the meantime, continue to “mobilize, organize, rest and repeat.”
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