Category Archives: black lives matter

The Hate You Give – Angie Thomas

July 31, 2018 tiffanywrites2 Leave a comment

This is More Than A Story – This is Our Life

As I hear the stories and then find out this movie is about to be made into a book, I pull it out my TBR, out of order, and begin to flip the pages. Yes I had the hardback book, and it made it that more important to me as I flipped the pages in reality. I am shaking as I am writing this, because this book is so realistic, so powerful.

Starr is your normal kid, I mean she is living in the hood but has the privilege to go to a private school on the other side of town. Her uncle, a police officer, lives over there. But in the beginning, she was just a girl, in a party in her neighborhood. They were celebrating Spring Break and it was the annual party that the local DJ did every year.

Starr never went to these but her best friend/her brothers other sister invited her. She sees her old best friend Khalil come in and they back and forth like it hasn’t been awhile since they hung out. A fight breaks out, and Khalil grabs her out and takes her to his car to take her home.

andras-vas-455552-unsplash — Photo by Andras Vas on Unsplash

The blue lights pull up behind them, and while she remembers her parents instructions, she wonders if anyone has had the talk with Khalil. You know the talk, speak only when spoken to, keep your hands in sight and don’t make sudden movements. The talk that every Black parent has with their kid about being stopped by the police. He didn’t, he moved and came back to the car to see if Starr was ok, and the cop shot. He shot more than once until Khalil’s bullet ridden body was on the ground leaking his blood into the pavement.

This is Starrs story of being a witness to something horrible and not wanting to be public, to showing not only did she have enemies of the police, but the streets were not all on the side of justice. This shows how hard it is to know whats going on but still have to deal with death everyday.

To deal with the racism that comes with a black boy being a victim of a cop, because of course he has to be a gang banger or a drug dealer. How the victim was put on trail to determine if the police officer would even be charged.

This may be a work of fiction, but its not. Its the reality of being black in America. Being in poverty and feeling like you have no choice in your life decisions. In having white friends who go by everything that the media says, because their comfort is more important than our lives.

This book is a reality, and I cannot wait to see how beautiful the movie is going to be. EVERYONE needs to see this movie, and read this book, because the pain felt behind Angies words, are the pain we felt after each hashtag died.

activism, black lives matter, heartbreak, honesty, hurt, parenting, Trump

Today We Talked About Racism

January 29, 2018 tiffanywrites2 Leave a comment

My 14 year old and 16 year old daughters received gifts from one of their Aunties for Christmas. Its a sweatshirt that represents the beauty it is to be black. Its a sweatshirt from Black Republic & Company that says on the front, “I’m Black Whats Your Super Power?” It’s a shirt that uplifted my daughters spirits throughout the many racist comments made daily.

Now me, I am the parent that has all types of activism shirts that I wear in the concession stands at the high school football games. I have shirts that stand with Planned Parenthood, the LGBT community, and several that stand for Black Lives Matter! NO ONE and I mean NO ONE has come for me. But today, this little boy broke my 14 year old daughters heart and scared her. He told her “I know what my Super Power is, its making a noose.”

Pause. This little boy said a noose… like wrap around a black persons neck and hang them – noose, strange fruit – noose. Really? Deep breath!

First of all – the amount of curse words and closed fist punches to the throat I thought of doing to this kid, but I had to calm down, explain the situation to my child about the evil words of those who do not like us, even though they have no reason. I struggled to control myself, that was not just a racist comment, but a threat to my child’s life. Thats how I took it, and I have every intent to treat it like that.

Before I could even say I would be at the school the next morning, she said the Principal will not take reports of racism, he will send you to the Assistant Principal. The same one who acts like she doesn’t know that racism exists, even though she’s black. I wish they would say the sweatshirt is the problem, I will have every black person I know with the same hoodie on protesting on their front lawns. The problem is someone’s parent taught them that it was ok to disrespect my child who is black. The problem is that the leader of this country has racist people opening their mouths again like we will not beat the shit out of them.

Let me catch my breath.

Screenshot 2018-01-29 17.38.40 But how do you talk to your child about racism? About the symbolism of the noose? How do you make them feel safe in a community that is only sprinkled with a few black faces? How do you make them feel like their skin is not the problem, but the ignorance of the others are. How when they hear these comments from more than just one little privileged white boy.

I always push unity, but we cannot begin to talk unity until we admit and acknowledge that racism is still alive and growing in 2018!

2018!!!!

I had the talk, you know the talk that was on Grey’s Anatomy last week, the talk that was on a few commercials that white people everywhere was upset about. The talk that EVERY black parent has had with their child. The talk that explains to her that there is no escaping this, no matter where we go racism is there. We cannot hide the color of our skin, but we can fight so we never let another person make us feel like she felt today. You know the one white people don’t want to admit is real, because then they would have to admit that RACISM IS REAL! Its real and its hurtful. I never thought I would have to explain this today, Arkansas once again, I hyped you up and once again, I have been disappointed.

To complain with me call Cleveland County Superintendent Johnnie L Johnson at (870) 325-6344.

activism, black lives matter, children, hurt, living your life, politics

No Review – I am judging the racist.

January 25, 2018 tiffanywrites2 Leave a comment

Its time out for the exclusions and separations.

I know its Thursday, the day I have scheduled to do reviews.. but today, I don’t feel like much of a review, at least not of a book, movie or television show. I will save that for next week. This week, I want to talk about the failed system protecting these kids, protecting us.

“A system cannot fail those it was never meant to protect.” – W.E.B. DuBois

I live in a small town in Arkansas, a town with more animals that black people and the population is less than 500. I only moved here due to circumstances beyond my control, but I accepted it and I am here. I knew I wasn’t welcomed here when the woman across the street made sure her confederate flag faced my house, when people stared a little longer because not only were we black, but we weren’t the black kind that tries to fit in.

I have been feeling the pressures of being black in this house and in this county. It seemed that during Christmas time, we were everyones charity case. The family that everyone did so much for and said it was because I was a single mother of four girls and a caretaker of two elderly, I accepted. I have never been above anything free, but I found that everything free, comes with a price. Comes with a cost.

A UPS driver came over one day with is sister in his truck (violation, right), to bring a dog house for my larger dog. His house wasn’t quite big enough and he didn’t like it. I thought it was a blessing, as odd as it was. He had no package to deliver, but offered to help out a lady and her dogs. His sister came off as helpful, someone who wanted to help keep my costs down and offered to send her vet friends to look at my dogs for free. I trusted this woman, until the phone calls became to frequent. The accusations that I could not care or pay for my dogs care. She assumed that because I was black, that I was poor.

Now I am not the richest person, nor do I have a lot, but my family has always been blessed. So her assumptions was wrong. She came over a few more times, in her UPS brothers truck, with dog food and a handout of help. I declined her help anymore and decided they had visited enough. Her visits stopped, although her brother continued to come by daily in his truck, according to her, to feed my dogs. (We ALWAYS had enough food to feed our dogs. We never asked for her help).

Last Friday, I received a call from Kim (I will not change her name because she mad a fool of me and I am not above making her look foolish). She offered to purchase my dogs from me. Now anyone that knows me, knows that my dogs are my babies. They are like my children. I rescued Chip, and Bella was given to us from an unwanted litter. I didn’t choose my dogs, they chose me. I am proud of my dogs and how they grow. Now Chips weight goes up and down and anyone that doesn’t know that, may look at him and think he’s sick, but he’s not.

She warned me that I would change my mind. So what happens today? The sheriffs come to my door and first gives me a warning and says that my dogs are healthy looking, only to return 45 minutes later saying I was a liar and I didn’t tell him I didn’t buy the dogs houses. (Why does that matter?) I was issued a criminal offense ticket of cruelty to animals, he said because my dogs didn’t have 24 hour access to water. *blank stare*

My dogs are a bit glutton and if I give Chip a big bowl of water, he will drink it until he throws up. I give him water when I feed him, and sometimes in between, especially depending on the weather. So now I have court.

Here’s my problem, Kim’s brother should’ve NEVER been on my property without a package to deliver nor should his sister been in his vehicle. Plus he was speaking to my children without my permission. (No… called UPS and they are “limited” on what they can do, oh but keep them updated.)

“I didn’t learn to be quiet when I had an opinion. The reason they knew who I was is because I told them.” ~ Ursula Burns

All this the same week that a boy commented on my daughters hoodies, asking if being shot by police was a black persons super power. All after the principle said that he will not address complaints of racism, to talk to the Assistant Principle.

Arkansas, I stood up for you. As much as its is a state that is all white vs black and KKK filled, I stood up for you, and now I am facing a felony and jail time that is equal to more than a murder of a person because I didn’t have a water bowl continuously filled for my dogs? With all the strays up and down Highway 79, why are my dogs on trial?

Screenshot 2018-01-25 20.19.39 I am not dumb, I know my rights, and I have my proof. I cannot wait until court, because once again, I am assumed to be dumb, black and poor. I am assumed to go to court with a “no sir, yes sir” attitude. They picked the wrong black person if thats the case. I will not be run from this little racist ass town, nor will I bow down to the bullshit at stake.

So today I review and judge RACISM, and I am OVER IT! Sorry, but you will not have a head down sister over here. I will win, and I will still be here when the smoke clears. Smiling and possibly having a few new jobs to my disposal.

Sorry for the rant, but I am a pissed off sista with an agenda.

black lives matter, fighting, politics, Trump

Hatred is not a strong enough word…

September 16, 2017 tiffanywrites2 Leave a comment

Being Quiet is Never A Solution

I have had a hard time deciding just what to say about the so-called “demonstrations” in Charlottesville. To say I am disgusted doesn’t seem to reach the truth of my feelings. I am beyond pissed, hurt, disturbed and down right disgusted at what these over privileged crybabies with a lack of morals and empathy are doing.

Let me clarify, I say privileged because they were able to cause innocent deaths and injuries and were still able to go home at night or to a jail cell with no personal injuries. They were not harmed. To make matters worse black men where in uniform protecting these idiots at a rally they otherwise would not be invited to.

This was definitely a job that I could not have done. But I will say that I am so proud of several people for taking a deeper look at the photos that were taken. Finding the faces of people with powerful job titles hiding in the mix, unafraid to show their face, but afraid to lose all they had.

Several people who were in attendance no longer have a job. The companies that they represent do not want to be associated with hatred, yet the one person that should have stood against this blamed both sides and said there was good and bad people on both sides. Hmm… where is the good in a Nazi? A white supremacist? A KKK member? I see none. And to compare BLM and Antifa to hatred groups is beyond fabricated.

BLM and Antifa are groups to fight against oppression not exclude or hurt someone because of something they cannot control. They are groups to explain that everyone lives matters. BLM means black lives matter TOO!!! Not that only our lives matter. To hear 45 defend these people who have been killing and causing uproars and literally disrespect this country with his slogans on hats makes me wonder what America he was trying to go back to.

I write everyday and this article has been lurking in my mind and I have processed this several times. I cannot fathom how anyone cannot see that not only is Trump trying to undo former President Obamas legacy, he is trying to take away the rights of everyone who is not a straight white man with money, all while playing those who are oppressed as terrorist or hate groups. He is truly backwards.

It hasn’t even been a year and look at how much commotion he has caused all while he is still rallying. This man doesn’t even realize that he is president yet and we have 3 1/2 years left. At this point impeachment is not enough, we need him impeached and deported. His citizenship should be stricken for being the worst president in history. The only true record he has ever broken.

-If no one has told you they love you today, know I do.

black lives matter, fighting, knowing you, living your life, moving forward, politics, self-worth, Uncategorized

Breaking My Silence…

September 7, 2017 tiffanywrites2 Leave a comment

Screenshot 2017-09-06 22.15.09

Over the last month, I have been silent – not in real life, but virtually silent. I stopped writing because I felt like my writing was just because, it had no real meaning and no real purpose behind it. So I stopped and starting thinking about my next moves. During the last few months, I began watching a new sitcom…

THE BOLD TYPE

This show has made me think in more ways than ever because of course I am a mixture of Jane Sloan (Katie Stevens) and Kat Edison (Aisha Dee), because not only am I a writer who is FINALLY following her passion, I am also following my heart as well.

But this show envelops so many more emotions. It hits on the women topics that are often ignored or pushed to the side for matters that other people think are more important. I have always stood up for so many things in my life from racism, homophobia, and sexism. I always felt that I had to pick an issue, because together they don’t make sense.

But why?

Society makes you feel that if you are a black woman that you cannot attend the Women Marches, because you have to remember that you are a black person first. If you are a member of the LGBTQ community, you have to only stick with the “black” pride events because once again, you are black first. But as a black woman, when you march, you are told to hold down your black men first.

I say bullshit! In life we all want the same thing and that is to live our daily lives and be just as happy and feel just as safe as a straight white man. I’m not saying we hate him, or belittle him or down talk anyone, I am saying that why can we not all stand along side of each other. Screenshot 2017-09-06 22.18.15

Fighting a fight of whose fight is more important is getting us no where. While we are all fighting 45 is making and changing rules impacting all of our lives except those we are fighting to stand beside each other. We should ALL fight TOGETHER!

Can you imagine the impact if every woman, every black, white, brown and in-between, every LGBTQ, every PERSON stood together and fought for us all to be equal? What if we all stood up and told the establishment that WE ALL MATTER?! I believe we would get so much further, but in my mind this works.

Then I think of all the fighting that we all do within our communities. The media always plays on black on black crime but there is women hating and talking down on each other, gay bashing from within, and jealousy always peeping up in any situation. We have to learn how to love ourselves before we can confront someone else about not loving us.

Screenshot 2017-09-06 22.18.56

I know I went deep but The Bold Type does that and the episode I watched tonight, “Carry The Weight” made me remember to carry mine and stand up for what I believe in, ALL OF IT!

Love you, cause I do!

black lives matter, living your life, politics, Trump, Uncategorized

You know you’re a racist right?

August 9, 2017 tiffanywrites2 Leave a comment

If You Aren’t Sure You’re One… Read On!

I don’t know where this new “trend” has come from, I think the image of “45” and his corrupt campaign tactics. You know the ones that brought all the racism, homophobic, jackasses out of hiding. The “trend” which makes me sick to my stomach, is that the racist people play victim and decide that a person standing up for injustice or speaking out about it is now the racist.

Make sense to you? Then you may be a racist. Yeah I said it. If you think its ok to call people names and talk down on them like their race is beneath yours, you are probably racist.

“Weakness is what brings ignorance, cheapness, racism, homophobia, desperation, cruelty, brutality, all these things that will keep a society chained to the ground, one foot nailed to the floor.” ~Henry Rollins

Let me throw some examples out there. Ijeoma Oluo (@IjeomaOluo)( July 30, 2017) tweeted “At Cracker Barrel 4 the 1st time. Looking at the sea of white folk in cowboy hats & wondering “will they let my black ass walk out of here?”” It was a nervous joke that many other black people have made because lets be serious here. Cracker Barrel settled a racial discrimination lawsuit in 2004, and in case you haven’t noticed, black people have been known in history to be killed by large crowds of white people. Must I remind you of the millions of lynchings in Americans history.

Instead of people understanding where this came from the 45 trolls came a running and calling her a racist, a n*gger (which is a racial derogatory statement), she received death and rape threats. How is that ok? Even if you thought for a minute that her statement was racist, how can you threaten to do her the very harm she was worried about?

45 has made you all think its ok to “grab someone by the p*ssy” or threaten to hurt someone because he has gotten away with these inappropriate outburst himself. I have never seen more people act as if they are not the problem than right now. The “go back to Africa” rants and how we were supposedly immigrants are sickening. That is racist! We are Americans. Our parents were born here, we were born here and our ancestors built this country. How would you like if we said go back to Europe? Because America wasn’t yours to begin with.

Do you remember Christopher Columbus and the “discovery” of a country that was already inhabited? Am I taking you too fast? Let be back up and rewind. The issue is you hate an entire race or believe the stereotypes of that race, then you are racist. Let me clarify, racism is not just white to black. There are more people who are oppressed besides black people. Also, I hate to tell you but if you are black and hate ALL white people, honey you are racist as well. Not all white people are the same. No one is bound by their skin to be a certain way. My great grandfather was a white man who used his freedom to buy slaves and free them. White people marched beside Martin Luther King, Jr and there are white people now standing alongside Black Lives Matters.

The issue is peoples character. The color of your skin is not going to make you who you are any more than the color of your hair and eyes. So why to some is such a big deal? Why is black skin looked at like its a threat? Why try so hard to keep us away from power? Yes we had a black president, but he was blocked on so many issues that he fought hard for, yet we let 45 destroy everything that so many people worked for.

Not only is it black people who have to fight for rights, its women, its the LGBTQ community, its Hispanics, Native Americans, Muslims, its everyone! Now supposedly white people are fighting for rights they already have. I have no idea how thats possible. Affirmative Action was not created to push white people out of a school over populated with them, it was created to give minorities a chance at a higher education.

Everyone just wants to live their life, find love, become successful and be happy… so I can’t seem to understand why so many feel its their right to take others away. As @iJesseWilliams posted on twitter, “Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. Its not a pie.” So tell me, why is so important to some to block others from the rights they enjoy?

black lives matter, Uncategorized

She is us… we are her… we could be.

July 19, 2017 tiffanywrites2 Leave a comment

Someone has lost their life… this is not a time to be petty and childish…

Justine Damond, her name is something important, yes she is a white woman, but WHY DOES THAT MATTER? This woman, called the police for protection and instead she was shot dead in the street as if she was the person that was going to hurt them.

The media is spinning this again and making it a white vs black issue, just as they did with all of the others that was shot dead for no reason. I have seen some hateful things that black people are saying, acting as ignorant as the ones that spoke against our sisters and brothers who were murdered in the streets. Some even claiming blue lives, when we know there are no such thing as Smurfs.

The problem, as its always been, is there is a problem with the system. They have put officers who are supposed to protect us out on the street without proper training. They are so short of staff that they don’t have the time and resources to properly train them. It used to be shoot to disarm and now these officers are shooting scared.

“Their feared for their lives,” I have never heard a military man or woman say that and they are placed in the middle of war. They are taken through a training and protect us everyday with their lives. What happened to the police that did the same? My father and brother were dedicated war heroes who served on the Chicago police force. They were both attacked and they never killed a soul while on duty, at least not that I know of.

What happened to police officers who only wanted the job because they wanted to provide a safe place for people to live. We see the few and far between who are video tapped playing with children, delivering gifts and helping the community, but if they are placed with an officer as a partner who was corrupt would they stand up to him/her or would they stand behind them?

We are always told to be loyal to those who are loyal to us, but there comes a time and place when we have to stand up against whats wrong.

This was a woman, this was a human being, this was an innocent. We need to stop with racism and stop thinking its okay to hate anyone do to their skin color.

I know its a stretch, but if we come together and face the real problem, the system. They are fighting scared, and using a glitch in the laws to protect them. We need to fight back, fight back and change the system so that it protects us instead of killing us.

They need to be held accountable for the same standards as the rest of us, and they need to question why these law enforcers are so easy to scare, so easily afraid for their lives. They can’t protect ours and put their lives before us.

Stand together, because separate all it looks like its we are complaining. Lets make a real change and protect our childrens futures.

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authority, Being great, black lives matter, children, heartbreak, honesty, living your life, love, moving forward, review, Uncategorized

Jay Z, Jay Z, Jay Z… Boy You Still Got It!

July 14, 2017 tiffanywrites2 Leave a comment

Review Time!!!!

So after debating in my head since the debut of 4:44 whether I was going to redo my membership for Tidal, Facebook made me aware that Jay had snuck his new album to iTunes this morning. Best part was, my Apple Music Membership covered it!

Let me tell you, I have been a Jay-Z fan since I was pregnant with my youngest daughter Screenshot 2017-07-07 20.33.16 in 2001 and even before. So my review is probably biased. Not really, cause if Jay would’ve come out with something whack I would’ve called him out.

But this man doesn’t know what whack is, unless you are him describing how he almost pulled a Eric Benet and lost his woman. Now that was indeed whack.

See most people only hear that he admits to all the things that Lemonade was talking about, but they missed the greatness of his album just as they missed the best parts of Beyonce’s albums.

He starts with Kill JayZ spitting on how theres no healing what you hide. He spoke on every rumor and every bad thing he ever did, how he couldn’t take it if he wound up like Future watching another man play ball with his son.

But that wasn’t the best part of the album and if thats all you heard, then you need to listen until you hear the rest. JayZ spoke up on how it doesn’t matter how rich you are, what complexion you are that we are still niggas in their eyes. He talked about how OJ said he wasn’t black he was OJ and how quick they brought him back to reality.

How our so called leaders are dealing with crap like Bill Cosby being held on charges instead of them saying NBC wasn’t for sale. Look at Al Sharpton on IG taking selfies in the mirror, what is he fighting? He’s given up. (Of course you have to look up what Al Sharpton had to say in return.. all I can do is roll my eyes. He always has so much to say but still saying nothing, but thats a different story.)

Screenshot 2017-07-07 20.34.33

My jam is Family Feud, because in this song he speaks about how nobody wins if the family is feuding. He’s not speaking about his family, he’s speaking on our Black family and how we are at each others throats, drinking alcohol that we know is not ours.

He also spoke on how all these “new” rappers/niggas is starting to sound alike, taking pics on IG with money and guns that don’t belong to them. Hanging with chicks who look the same or are the same. How now we in the game of telling on ourselves and it really don’t be about nothing.

He talked about having credit is better than balling out, how you need to put money away for your family and invest in black owned businesses and stop working for everyone else. Like honestly, why are yal still signing record deals like you haven’t seen what they do to people. Stop making other peoples pockets fatter while all along you hungry.

He also spoke on deeper issues about him growing up with a mother who was living a life where she was hiding who she was. How you should your life to make you happy, no matter who doesn’t like it. He even called out the jewelers on how they are robbing people and don’t care even if its blood money, long as its money.

He wrapped it up with a song called Legacy and a shot out to his roots Marcy Me.

JayZ is back yal! He’s a grown man and is ready to face his responsibilities like a man and make his woman happy. He sees his flaws and his imperfections and hopefully will learn from them. Because as he said no loss is a loss its a lesson and appreciate the pain because its a blessing.

Lets hope this album will be the turning point that will allow him to keep that superhero mask on for his babies. Good Job Jay!!! This is now on my favs list. Whats your favorite JayZ album?

black lives matter, fighting, moving forward, self-worth

Change You First – then the World

July 6, 2017 tiffanywrites2 Leave a comment

You say you’re ready for a revolution, but are you sure?

You say you want a revolution, but are you sure? You say you are tired of people being oppressed and want changes and call everyone in the neighborhood out for not standing up but are you?

See sometimes we need to stand up and be the change we want to see. We say we want them to stop killing our brothers and want the police to be held accountable for killing our people, but yet when little Ray Ray gets locked up for killing three people – you post “Free My Mans!” You don’t step up and stop those young men who are out acting disgraceful and disrespectful and you are guilty yourself of locking your doors when you see three black men in hoodies.

We yell that women should get equal pay and there should be no gender stereotypes and double standards for women, yet you talked down about Amber Rose’s Slut Walk marketing, or talk bad about Black Chyna for doing what men have been doing for years. Don’t remember, look up Mary J Blige. I’ll wait.

You say you don’t tolerate racism but you a black person, the “most” oppressed person on this planet hate white people, nor do you stand for others that are oppressed because who has heard of the Puerto Rico movement for Independence, or fight for the Veterans who are homeless and starving. How often do you stop to feed someone you see hungry on the side of the road or give up some of your savings to help a cause.

We are so quick to talk about someone else’s agenda and don’t look within ourselves. Justice starts within you. You have to start being that person that you want the world to be. How can you complain about others mistreating you if you are still mistreating others?

I originally started writing an article about the different movements, but I feel like any good movement starts within. We are responsible for ourselves and how we treat others. You can fight for equality if you have some prejudices in you. You have to fight the fight as well.

Screenshot 2017-07-06 17.03.41 I hate to say it but it seems as if this day today is mostly about complaining and no action. We see a peaceful movement that Colin Kaepernick started and many were talking so bad about how he was doing it but not why. If you stand for something, you should stand for it no matter where you are. If you are a cop and you see that one of your “CO-WORKERS” (let me stress that word) is acting ugly and using his power for granted, its up to you to stop him and call him out.

I have seen some of the bravest souls make a stand during football and they are talked down because they are told the field is sacred. Remember Beyonce’s Formation ‘Half-Time Show’? Why? You should stand up in front of people and not just behind a computer screen.

Its time to stand up, but we have to stand up first to ourselves. We can’t fix the world if we refuse ourselves to be fixed.

black lives matter, honesty, living your life

Any discrimination is unacceptable!

June 17, 2017 tiffanywrites2 Leave a comment

-Isms… I’m done with them all.

Why is it that is you stand for one thing you can’t stand for something else. In America, there is a thing called privileged but if you are not a straight white male, you don’t know the true meaning of that word, nor does it pertain to you.

I know some believe that all white people have a privilege attached to them, but if they were born with a vagina, that is simply not true. If that are attracted to the same sex, its not true.

I can feel my ancestors kicking me in my back and a few stares from my black peers. Yes racism is strong, and yes our black people are being killed in these streets for being a color that they cannot control. But its not just us. As much as we want to fight for equality, we should also hear the next persons complaints on why they are oppressed.

There are latinos who are still getting stereotyped in Hollywood and called Mexicans, no matter what country the originate from. They are portrayed as a sex symbol and men definitely don’t respect their women. For all points and purposes they are treated like our black men and women.

Asians, Muslims and Jewish are all disrespected. Women are disrespected, as well as the LGBT community.

We are all dying for the same rights. We are all fighting the same fight. Why can we not fight together?

I had a friend, whom out of respect I will remain nameless, who debated with me and thought because I was speaking up that I was only speaking up for the LGBT community. As if my blackness and me being a woman was thrown out the window because I am a member of that community. Last time I check I am still black, I am still a woman.

I have three strikes against me according to the current administration, so why do I have to pick one over the other to stand up for? I stand for justice for all.

Today I am pissed for several reasons and one is the results of the Philando Castile murder. He was murdered as a friend put it but we just don’t know who. Apparently the video his girl posted wasn’t enough for a conviction. The screams from her and his daughter wasn’t enough to put a man in jail for shooting his weapon in cold blood.

I am angry because a year after the Pulse shooting, people still have the nerve to think that we deserved it because we are sinners. As if their best friends sleeping with their husbands wasn’t a sin. As if the kids they had out of wedlock and the pointing fingers and judging others wasn’t the same. I am angry that people are using the Bible, the word of God, as a means to spread hate.

I am angry that Amber Rose posted a racy picture in honor of the annual Slut Walk and all people could do was call her the very thing she’s standing up against. Her biggest haters were women who wish they could post a picture of the same or who do but hate that she added a feminist words to it. A woman body is objectified daily and looked at as a means of sexual gratification whether we allow it or not. If she was topless it would be a problem, if she only showed thigh, it would still be a problem.

I am angry that everyone in the world is worried so much about how others live their lives that they will ruin their own to make someone else miserable. Gay marriage was voted in federally to be allowed in the United States and it has been a fight ever since. If two men get married how is it bothering your daily life? If two women are raising children in a household of love, why is that harmful but your house full of abuse and hatred isn’t?

I am tired of the hatred in this country, in this world. I feel like the current administration gave people who are filled with hate a platform to express it. Yes there is freedom of speech, but why is it ok for you to disrespect me, but not ok for me to respond? Even if nothing I said is laced with hatred.

America is no where near being great, I have no idea what era Trump was talking about. It seems to me that America is hate. Everyone is hating everyone else, yet everyone is fighting for the same thing. Respect!

The best way to get respect is to look internally and start respecting yourself. Then and only then will you gain respect of others.

Tiffany M. Arnold