By the time you guys see this article, the election will be over. Every Tuesday, I forward my article to the paper by 12 noon. Unfortunately, this week was election day, so you will have to wait for my thoughts on the election, pro or con, and I can’t wait to write it.
Not knowing what the outcome would be, I felt it was time for me to have a conversation with my baby girl, London. We are both excited to be proud supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris. London and I look forward to celebrating the first woman president of these hopefully soon to be united states.
Don’t get me wrong. We’re not just excited because Kamala is a Black woman (contrary to those that question her culture). We’re excited because we both believe that there is no better way to save this country, than to put it in the hands of a Black woman, and not just a Black woman, but a qualified Black woman.
All my life I’ve seen firsthand the incredible power of Black women starting with my mother. She was the best I’ve ever seen at taking nothing and making something beautiful and Black out of it. She didn’t have a formal education, but she had an unbelievable mother wit, a love and appreciation for our ancestors and the things they taught her, and she passed that love and wisdom on to my siblings, my daughter London, and me.
I felt it was time for me to talk with London about what if? What if things go sideways during this election, what if the most qualified person doesn’t win. What if, because of the electoral college, our sister doesn’t win. Will we give up or will we as a people continue to fight for justice for our people and other marginalized folks here in the good old USA.
If things go sideways because of an antiquated process called the electoral college, I felt it was important for me to remind her and myself that it’s the popular vote that gives us a better insight into what the people are thinking. I had to remined her that even when the carnival barker won back in 2016, it was not the masses of Americans that put him in the White House.
Remember, Hillary Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes than the Pomelo President, giving her the largest popular vote margin of any losing presidential candidate. Certified results in all 50 states and the District of Columbia showed Clinton winning nearly 65,844,610 million votes, 48 percent to Trump’s 62,979,636 million votes according to an analysis by the Associated Press.
Yes, you heard me right, most registered voters, voted for Hillary Clinton just as most voters voted for Joe Biden. So, when this ferine and his psychotic followers pretend that he got more votes than any president in history, like everything he says, it’s a damn lie. This is important for us to remember because if we forget this, we will believe that most or half as they like to say, “America loves and supports this maniacal moron.”
No doubt, there’s a large collection of people that love and support Trump and after they get out
of bed with their sisters and first cousins, they’re going to go vote for him. America has always had and will have several crazy people in it. Can we be honest just for a second?
Hillary only lost because of misogyny, sexism, personality and straight up American ignorance. Hillary then, like Kamala now, was the best qualified, and it’s because of that same level of ignorance, we see the media trying to play that same hand this election. So, we’ve got to be prepared to take our fight for freedom, justice and equality to the next level if it goes sides ways. Like Malcom said, “The same thing you’re willing to do for your people, I’m willing to do the same for mine, I’m just going to do more of it”
Oh sure, I got the faith thing working for me and I do have faith, I also believe like Frederick Douglass when he said, “I prayed for 10 years and never heard from God. It was only when I started praying with my feet that I heard and saw God.” Black people no matter what happens we must continue to pray with our feet.
If it goes sideways, treat this election like you do your lottery numbers. You pay your two dollars (soon to be five), pick your numbers or get a quick pick, y’all all know that with a quick pick you’re totally putting your faith in the largess of the machine, but what you don’t do is give up.
No matter how things go we cannot give up on our people, we can’t give up on ourselves and there’s no way I’m going to give up on doing all I can do to breathe life into the struggle for justice, freedom, equality for my people and all ostracized people in my community and in this country.
During the Montgomery bus boycott of 1965, there was the beautiful elderly Black woman by the name of Mother Pollard. She was walking to work one morning and as she was walking this white fella pulled up beside Mother Pollard and asked if she wanted a ride, he said, “I know your feet must be tired.” Mother Pollard looked at the fella and said, “My feets are tired, but my soul is rested.”
I told London, no matter what happens during this election, let your soul be rested in the belief that we will get there, sore feet and all.
