On "Professionalism" and Kamen Rider T-Shirts

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One of the best decisions I ever made in my life and career was deciding that the concept of “professionalism” was white supremacist thinking and that it was not for me. It’s not a coincidence that the only people who have ever questioned my “professionalism” were white folx with power and positionality who were uncomfortable with me bringing my full self into what they viewed as their workplace.

They can keep questioning.

I’m gonna keep rockin’ these Kamen Rider t-shirts with my nappy hair and my pop culture references while landing podcast appearances, clients across the United States, national conference presentation offers, and local EDI summit invites.

“Professional.”

On Kyle, Crocodile Tears, and White Lives Losing Value When Defending Black Lives

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Prepare yourself for Kyle Rittenhouse either getting off clean as a whistle or getting the most minimal time possible for murdering two WHITE people at a BLM protest that his mom dropped him off at in a state he didn’t even live in. It’s the American way, y’know.

See, if Kyle killed two white people “just ‘cause” he’d be deemed a monster, unstable. But he killed two white people trying to support BLACK people. And in the United States? White people like Kyle don’t do time for that. Once he turned on the crocodile tears it was a wrap.

White systems/institutions like the U.S. legal system will always protect white man-children like Kyle, especially when they kill people connected to Black bodies in any way. At that moment, the white men Kyle killed “forfeited their lives” as soon as they cared about Black folx.

Kyle wasn’t “in danger” that night. He went to that protest looking to harm someone. He just didn’t think he’d have to pay for it if he did.

And he likely won’t.

Truth be told, if he’d killed two Black men this case would’ve wrapped days ago.

The Return of the Coffee or Lunch Phenomenon

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I want to take a moment to touch on a phenomenon I had hoped a pandemic and physical distancing put an end to. The phenomenon in question?

The phenomenon of white people asking me out to lunch or coffee to "pick my brain" about anti-racism instead of paying me my consultant rate for my time.

C'mon, white people. Seriously. I feel like we've talked about this at least 20 times. You've been to my website. You often contact me through my website. Yet, you still want to offer me food or drink instead of monetary compensation for my time and energy. Asking people of color, Black people, to provide you with their trauma experiences for a cup of coffee or a sandwich is white supremacy, classism, power, and positionality at play. I am not a pet. I cannot be placated or bribed to cater to your needs with an offer of food and drink. If you want to enlist my consulting services and "pick my brain," my rate is $150 an hour.

Pay Black people for their time and energy with cash, not a damn latte. Pay people of color for sharing their experiences with you with money they can use to take care of themselves and their families and communities, not a chicken sandwich.

Y'all don't even realize how transparent your belief in our value is, do you?

On Grocery Lists, Karens, Chets, and Apple Crumbles

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I have had to check a whole lot of white people this week. Like, a whole lot. That's not a bragging point or badge of honor.

It's a declaration that I and other Black folx and people of color shouldn't be able to get to the end of our work weeks with the ability to build a damn list of white people we've had to check.

Some of y'all white folx need to start checking other white folx because I shouldn't have to mistake my checked white supremacists' list with my grocery list. Damn near bought a bunch of Karens and Chets instead of cardamom for my apple crumble.

And I refuse to let y'all mess up my apple crumble.

Scared

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Two days ago, I was told that the white people with power and positionality at work are scared of me. I was then told that I make them uncomfortable because I talk about racism, oppression, white supremacy, and dismantling hatred and oppression in the workplace and our communities without baby gloves.

...I just wanted to share that. Don't really have too much to add to that. I mean, that speaks for itself, doesn't it? I knew they felt this way. I've known since day one. I know that most white people think this way about me. But having a white person with more power and positionality than you tell you this out loud in a meeting with a nervous chuckle because even they are scared of you and hope you don't call them out really hits you a particular kind of way. I sat with it for a couple of days, talked with my therapist about it, and I'm doing OK. It's out of my control. It is what it is. White people gonna white people. And Pharoah's gonna keep being Pharoah. Que sera.

Happy Thursday.