Brothers, Can we Talk?

 I'm a Black woman, born of a Black woman and a Black man. When my mother died, it was my father who nurtured me and instilled in me a sense of pride of self, of my race, of my abilities to do whatever I put my mind to do. He never imposed limitations on me as a Black woman. The only caution he ever gave me was to not burn my candle at both ends and to be mindful of my health, I am an asthmatic. He never stopped me from trying anything and always encouraged me. Daddy was a strong Black man who introduced me to Shirley Chisholm when I was a little girl. He reminded me of the fortitude of my late mother's quest for gender equality in the workplace and of the namesake who marched at Selma.  He is the one who gave me my pseudonym, Tayé. Daddy was a strong tower of empowerment and fought all the way to his last breath for social, gender, and racial justice.

It is in remembering my father this morning that I'm asking the brothers, can we talk?

What is it, especially those of my generation who were born the year of the Civil Rights Act being signed, that compels you to even consider this orangevillageidiot for President? 

I could not believe it, yet, history has told me I can, when there were Black men considering voting for this man for a second term because they just could not abide by a woman being that close to the Presidency. That is why these same men did not vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and have been a part of ushering in this terror we've lived under for the past four years.

Now, to be fair, Black people are 13% of the entire population, so we are able to move the needle only so much, even if we generously estimate that 9% of us are of voting age and able to do so. We know we are not part of the 53% of white women who voted for that menace and are definitely not part of the 42% of the American population who side for anti-Black policies, despite being harmed by anything this administration does. We know that. But it is the approximately 5% of the U.S. Population, adult Black men, who I'm concerned with.

Brothers, can we talk?

I know, not all of you, right. I know some of you are strong feminists and believe in a Black woman's right to exist fully as herself. I raised such men and am married to one, was the daughter of one. I know there are so many of you who do not fall into the religious conservative leaders of our mainline Black denomination who have a narrow view of scripture when it comes to women's roles in society. I know, not all of you.

But, seriously, can we talk?

What is it that makes you, brothers, want to rule and control so much that the wisdom of the sisters is ignored? Is it that you crave what you see for 400+ years and assume that must be power? Is it the quest for dominance to gain back what you think was lost for 400 years? Is it that you have lost the spiritual connection to our ancient selves that listened to wisdom? What is it?

I seriously want to know.

Because we are in peril.

I've written about it and talked about the evil coming to us and was rebuffed more times than I can count. So many other voices rose up after Tamir and Mike and now, Breonna, year after year, and the sisters are wondering, just what will it take for you to chose us and not crave what the devil is offering?

This is am important year, it is not the time to fall on ideological purity of a woman's role. It is not the time to be afraid of an AfroIndian woman and the maybemighthappen that she would be President. What about your Senator, Congressperson, Governor, LtGovernor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, Mayor, City Councilperson, Dog Catcher, Park and Rec Board, School Board? What about the Sheriff? The Prosecuting Attorney? All those amendments they are trying to rush through. What about that? 

Can we sit down on November 4, 2020 and iron out any theological, ideological, or philosophical issues we may have and present a vision for the first 100 days of a new administration? Can we do that after we get past this dictatorwannabeconartistinchief? Can we stay focused with our eyes-on-the-prize? Please?

Focus.

Let's do that.

Do it for your sons. For your daughters. For your mothers. For your sisters. Let's get this thing done. Register, the clock is ticking, make a plan for how you will vote and how you will protect the vote of the community. 

Then, after it is done and the results are in, we can sit down over coffee.