The Political is Personal

Since Donald Trump’s presidential election victory last week, there’s been much discussion and preparation in regards to the fates of minorities given the Presidential Elect[?]’s controversial and bigoted platform.

Whether it’s the election, Ferguson, Flint, Orlando, or DAPL, one of the most infuriating things I hear from people, and by people I mean white people, is that there needs to be more dialogue, more education, more love.

If only there were more people out there teaching and educating then tragedies like #Orlando or #Ferguson or #Baltimore wouldn’t be a reality.

Why is that infuriating? Because there are people who have dedicated their lives, doing that very work. In fact you’re reading one of their pieces right now.

Myself, my NOC colleagues, and others put ourselves on the line, sharing our firsthand experiences, history, facts, wisdom, compassion, and sometimes delivering well deserved ass-kickings because we know the score. We speak out on these issues each day and provide a face to said issues so that many of you will be aware that they are real and not simply abstract political hypotheticals.

The political is personal. And trust, it can and will get far worse.

While some do listen to understand with open hearts and open minds, far more dismiss us. Or mislabel us as being too sensitive, playing the race card, pushing an agenda or whatever privileged bigoted excuse they can to silence us.

Some of us have been met with threats and even violence for simply speaking our truths.

This is why the NOC and similar spaces are so desperately needed. This is why analyses and marginalized perspectives in media, especially speculative fiction is so desperately needed. The Original X-Man, First Class, Brother Malcolm said it best:

So when Trumps of the world rise to power, Rome burns, Nero and myself are strumming up our fiddles, you can’t say you weren’t warned.