Just about every Black person you and I know voted for Kamala, and at least half as many took to a cocoon after the Trump Triumph. No CNN. MSNBC, which imbibed and spun the tale that the election might actually be close, now on par with Pravda. The New York Times and The Washington Post avoided like a vampire hides from the sun. I get it.
But it’s time, my people, to get back on that horse. No, I’m not suggesting a return to watching cable news for the outrage of the day so you can learn that some of the people claiming to be outraged weren’t actually outraged and were secretly applauding. Nah, let’s all graduate from that. Those exit poll results, not to mention the election results, make it clear that, if Roger B. Taney issued the Dred Scott decision today, there’d be partying in some of these streets. And people you know would be setting off fireworks.
I’m talking about mounting a horse that can take you away from the day to day disappointment and put you above the frightful fray. That horse has a strong back and four slim but sturdy legs that include:
A passport: Only about a third of Black Americans have a passport. Get yourself in that third.
No, I’m not suggesting you get it so you can emigrate. You’d need a lot more than a passport to become a citizen or even a permanent resident of another country. I’m saying get one so you can travel and get perspective. I don’t care if you go to Canada or Khartoum, Barbados or Bahrain. Get on out there. You’ll see that, as painful as you believe things are in your country, you’re still fortunate to be a full-fledged citizen in the country you and your ancestors made great. Go, eat that creamy national dish, get the social media footage and drink the wine. Then, come back and know your people have endured far worse and you can get through.
Step up and plan that family reunion:
It used to be a staple, something we did at least every few years. But we’ve come to see the T-shirts as corny and the drama and cost as not worth the trouble. They’re not corny, and it’s worth the trouble. It’s raining pain out there; trust your relatives with the umbrella. Reconnect. Laugh. Dance. Put on that O’Jays song. Love on your auntie, your grandma and your grandpa. They’d love to see you, love to hear how you’re getting on and love to know how much you cherish them.
Dive back into Black brilliance:
Read Toni Morrison. See an August Wilson play. (That Denzel Washington Family-produced Netflix movie “The Piano Lesson” is an easy and very enjoyable start.) We’ve long brought the cool, the smooth, the thoughtful and the light to our country, no matter our pain. Remind yourself of what we’ve accomplished and what you might add to that body of work.
Tell your friends you love them:
They’re probably looking for a way out of that cocoon, too. Just like you. Text them. Tell them you’re looking forward to seeing them again. Tell them you appreciate hearing from them. Tell them you love them. Love is as good to give as it is to get. And the giving is restorative.
So, let’s hold our heads up and march forward. No, the country isn’t where many Black Americans thought it would be at this point. Criminality and bigotry are still countenanced if it comes from the right places. But we can bite down and push through. We don’t have to hide, especially if we’ve got each other’s back.