We All We Got!

It's no secret that I live in the deep south and a lot of things happen here that are very upsetting. Last night when Mike Espy was defeated by a woman who has made some disparaging and racist remarks I was disappointed but I was not surprised that this happened. However, today has been a day of a lot of reflection and also some really interesting discussions. In my years of mentoring students, both high school and college, I kept thinking that one day there won't still be first generation college kids. But, almost 20 years into the game and there are way more than handful of first time college students. Moving to a place like Mississippi from Washington, DC I can tell you this....Black people are poor as hell everywhere. I will say that the circumstances some of the people in the rural south live under are in some ways worse than we can imagine. I find myself asking a lot of questions. After a thing like these Hurricanes we constantly see how we are failing to care for the poor. When I am with my bougie ass college educated luxury car driving friends I sometimes wonder if they are as concerned as I am about the plight of black folks in these poor communities. Mainly because the majority of them are only three paychecks from living paycheck to paycheck. They are the ones everyone in their family comes to for money and support. On Facebook today so many people were talking about how they would never live in Mississippi but riddle me this...If folks are too poor in this part of the country to leave when a whole entire national disaster is coming right at them. What makes you think they have the resources to leave and go somewhere else? If nobody goes to these places and tries to implement change then how can we expect change to occur?

I grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and I could not wait to leave. So much about my upbringing was hard. However, it definitely made me the woman I am today. I oftentimes wonder if WE meaning my generation and beyond have let down the entire Civil Rights generation. I mean so many of us have come to attach value to the material things we have an snub our noses at those who have less. We spend a lot of time critisizing folks who are poor and uneducated. But what the hell are we fighting for? Who is gonna help the folks that look like us if we turn our backs on them. One of the most powerful things we can do as WWRS is mentor this younger generation. We need to be an active part of these younger women's lives. Before some of you reading this get all up in yo feelings like Drake...KeKe I am not saying we shouldn't have nice shit. Honey please believe I ain't the one saying that type of nonsense. But, what I am saying is that we also have a great responsibility to lift up others. We have made it this far because of the sacrifice of others and now is the time for us to sacrifice. I won't get too political in this blog post but I will say one thing. One of the powerful things I drew from listening to Michelle Obama talk about her experience as FLOTUS was her husband's belief that he could really help. When was the last time we saw something that really bothered us and said, "Damn it! I need to do something about this shit right here." This blog is just one part of me doing something about something I have lived and survived and I want to reach back or across to encourage other women. WWRS we spend most of our days code switching, shape shifting and make something out of nothing. Let me encourage you in spending a bit of your time mentoring a young woman. We need each other so much.

One of my really close friends is going through a big storm in her life. It is one of those milestone type storms. I am blessed that in her time of need she reached out to me to talk it out. Sometimes you just need to talk it out with someone who will listen and say...yeah Girl you right even if you aint right. HUH? If she is a great sister friend she will loop back around at the appropriate time and say, " You know you lost your whole rabid ass mind don't you?" Then you both laugh hard as hell and get about the business of figuring out her next move. This my beautiful sisters is why you need other women in your life. Yes! a man can be there for you but, the way we are there for each other is so powerful. So the next time you encounter a young woman who reminds you of yourself lean in and see if you hear that still small voice that says yes she is yo people. Take that cue and spend time encouraging and building her up. Why? Because you know the path she is travelling and you have something important to keep her from having such a tough journey. I have been blessed to have so many wonderful, complicated and loving female friendships. The women God has blessed me to mentor over the years have propelled me to better or dare I say greater. When you think that nobody understands your plight...just know that not only are there others who understand but, there are people who love you enough to listen. Cuz.. Sis at the end of the day....we all we got.