“America is still young. African-Americans are still young. We were enslaved 250 years. We’ve only been free for 150 years. It’s something bigger than my lifetime, or yours. But here’s what I consider. Life is short. How you gonna live? What if we’re not gonna win? Do you have the courage to live how you wanna live? What are you gonna do with your time?”
I’ll post my actions for the rest of the week tomorrow. Like many of you, I’m setting aside part of Martin Luther King Day to prep for the Women’s March. I’ll be at the one in D.C. and am both glad to be going and a little wistful that I can’t also be here in NYC with friends who are marching in town. No doubt you’ve seen, but there are 370 sister marches. 370!
By now you probably also know about the bag requirements for the D.C. march. Each person can bring a clear backpack no larger than 17"x12"x6", a small bag/tote of 8”x6”x4”, and, for meals, a 12”x12”x6” plastic or gallon bag. (It’s a little unclear to me from the guidelines whether the backpack is only for people with medical conditions, breast pumps, etc., so I will be using it for some march supplies I can part with if they decide I need to leave it behind.)
Although the forecast (like so many these days) calls for unusually warm weather, the organizers are emphasizing the importance of wearing warm clothing.
Jamelle Bouie: You’ve spoken to this, Tressie, but for many white readers and followers, we are the only consistent black presence in their lives. And so there’s a kind of expectation that we will be there to manage their emotions, whether it is calls for hope or outlets for anger.
McMillan Cottom: The National Black Friend. My people joke that I am probably the black friend for half of the white people who lie and say they have one. Their other black friend is Ta-Nehisi Coates.
"The Standing Rock protesters are making the argument that the pipeline threatens not just tribal land and resources but American land and resources. The protesters are making a stand on behalf of all Americans for better decisions for our energy future. This is their sacrifice and this is their new Thanksgiving gift."