History Shows Us

In this week's episode, I explain why and how black Americans were victims of racial violence, terror, and lynching. I start with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. This is part 1 of 2 and I decided to do it this way because setting the scene and understanding the 'why' is important when looking at the political and social atmosphere of the time. Get ready for all the knowledge in this episode!

After the Civil War, black Americans were targets of racial terror and violence because of white supremacy and racism. This happened in both the North and the South, though Southern states were notorious for such evil. The federal government's involvement and complicity, loopholes to amendments in the Constitution, Confederate leaders in public offices, and much more, show how and why racial violence and terror happened, and also why over 4,000 [documented] racial terror lynchings occurred in Southern states between 1877 and 1950, and over 300 racial terror lynchings in other states during this same time. 

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This week, I give a glimpse of what activism in Jim Crow America was by discussing Ida B. Wells, W. E. B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, the NAACP, and the Harlem Renaissance. Anti-lynching campaigns, black consciousness, black nationalism, and cultural expression were forms of activism and resistance that paved the way for later years of movements for freedom in our country. 

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Rodney Reed Information

Ida B. Wells' "Lynch Law In All Its Phases" 

W. E. B. Du Bois' Race-Conflict Theory

"I, Too" by Langston Hughes

Traveling in Jim Crow America was met with annoyances, inconveniences, and dangers, if you were black. In this episode, I discuss laws that enforced segregation on public transportation, cars and what they symbolized, the Green Book, sundown towns, and the persistence and resilience of black Americans as they faced racism and discrimination while trying to enjoy their freedom. Mobility and autonomy in Jim Crow America were not available for everyone. 

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Episode 2 of the Jim Crow Series is all Jim Crow laws and etiquette that kept races divided, beginning in 1877 after the Reconstruction era. I also discuss miscegenation laws, which were laws that banned interracial marriages, and how these laws went along with the idea of "unnatural" relationships and symbolized white purity. 

Under Jim Crow, African Americans were given the status of second-class citizens and Jim Crow represented the legitimization of racism. Ensuring white supremacy prevailed was of utmost importance in America, and in this episode, I connect the dots for you to see how this history must be acknowledged today.

Hey everyone! I wanted to get some things off my chest. This episode is really a spontaneous rant. White tears. Amber Guyger. Justice. Forgiveness. The bare minimum. Just some of my thoughts. 

My bi-weekly Wednesday episode will be available this Wednesday!! It'll be episode 2 of my Jim Crow Series.

This week's episode is the first of the Jim Crow series! A brief history of the origins of Jim Crow laws, where the name Jim Crow came from, what this series will include, why now, and the importance are just a few points discussed in this episode. 

The Jim Crow series will take us through the next couple of months and give you an in depth view into the history of a time when "separate but equal" was really just "separate."

Remember that episodes are now every other Wednesday!

In this episode, I discuss white fragility, what it is, and the problem with centering white feelings in conversations about racism and injustice. I also provide some questions white people can ask themselves to check themselves with their white fragility. Communication is crucial if any racial progress and change is what people really want, and if we are going to have conversations about antiracism and being antiracist (instead of just not racist). 

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This week, I talk about the problem with people saying, "I don't see color" and how this and other colorblind-related phrases invalidate racist experiences and more. I also discuss why names aren't "hard", why and how incorrectly or correctly pronouncing someone's name has deeper roots, and how both colorblindness and names are important when recognizing identity. 

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This week, I provide some history about what led to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, I read a few excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream speech, I discuss the last [almost] five years of Dr. King's life that is too often omitted from his legacy, and how the "urgency of now" is felt today like it was in 1963. 

August 28, 2019 is the 56th anniversary of Dr. King's iconic and profound 'I Have a Dream' speech, and in a society that often quotes Dr. King and uses him as a moral compass, it is important to recognize him as the radical leader he was. We must stop romanticizing history and placing people in a neatly wrapped box that is appealing to white supremacy culture. Tune in to hear more!

This episode deviates from history/social issues as the main topic, and rather focuses on self-care and protecting your energy. Having boundaries, saying "no" as a complete sentence, and never dulling your shine are a few of the points I touch on and give my own personal experiences with.