²⁶ Be angry [at sin—at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], yet do not sin; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down.

Ephesians 4:26 Amplified Bible

By the way, ‘the sun goes down’ means end of the day. And the day is not over until we are all free of oppression.

The culmination of 400 years of oppression is at the precipice of finally boiling over. From being counted as 3/5 of a person to being beaten for not wanting to work for free to having our votes blocked to being murdered just for having Black skin has planted seeds of hurt, frustrated, angry feelings within the Black American community. And we have every right to those feelings and so much more.

The recent murders that took months before the public was made aware of as well as the one we saw on video just last month are the straw that broke Black America’s dam of feelings. And those feelings will come with action. No! We don’t need 1 leader to pull us together. They will kill that leader. What we need is for people to understand there are more than 1 way to accomplish the mission we all want.

That mission:  Access to the rights and privileges as American citizens.

It’s not revenge or hate. As a community, that is not our focus. Our focus is building opportunities so we may leave something for our children. Our focus is to be able to walk down the street and come home safe. Our focus is to be able to get paid for the work we do and not hear, “Well not this time but that promotion is coming.” Our focus is to own anything and not be subjected to speculation that we are somehow stealing or breaking into our own property. But hate and revenge are not on that list. The injustice, racism and white supremacy that has plagued America can no longer be hidden or spoken in a hushed voice. We are fed up and not letting up this time. Our ancestors and grandparents didn’t fight for the progress we have today for it to be halted. While we do have more than them, we still lack so much more.

I firmly believe that financially sound and stable Black business is good for our community. It allows us to fund what we need, support causes that advance the mission and provides opportunities for those who may not have one. I firmly believe voting is essential. And not just for President. If we ignore our local and state elections we are giving them a free pass to put policy into place that the “President” ,who people thinks runs everything, can override. Voting comes with accountability. We can’t just cast our ballot and leave it at that. We must hold all elected officials accountable for their campaign promises. Or we will keep getting what we expect. Not much.

But it’s hard to act when we’re so full of emotions that are roaring through our bodies with no place to go. Most often, when acting out of emotion it doesn’t end well. Before we take any action we have to be able to answer this question,

What do you want to be?

The answer to that question will lead us on our varied paths to accomplishing the mission of having access to the rights & privileges we all so greatly deserve.

Not sure what to do. Let me share some suggestions with you. Channel your rage into something productive to make that happen. If it’s for a Black community free of oppression then…

• find organizations to support (these can be organizations that actively hold our elected officials accountable, train them for positions that will represent our community, post bail for protesters, provide much needed resources to the community or provide scarce services to help those in need not just physically but mentally as well)
• hold elected officials accountable by writing them weekly (get a group and take turns where 2- 3 people write each week on issues that concern our community until it is resolved.)
• if you like to talk on the phone then get a group of people to create a phone bank (this isn’t just necessary during election season but throughout the year to keep people informed on progress with issues as well as to hear from them personally on how issues are affecting them)
• work with Black media to amplify their voice (share their stories, read their articles, watch their broadcasts, donate to them, buy a subscription)
• support our frontline workers (donate to a fund that helps them buy lunch, put gas in their car, pays for the groceries or bills, something to help them as they continue to work on our behalf fighting COVID-19 while we fight injustice)
• hold town halls (this is a great way to incorporate technology for those who won’t attend in person and use it as a way to further reach our community beyond them attending in person by repurposing the transcript into a video posted online, points sent out in a newsletter, bloggers write a recap with critical points shared, anything to expand the length and reach of the issues that were addressed)
• donate to scholarship funds (this allows us to educate all the people who want to be educated so we have more professionals who will pour back into our community but not drowning in student loan debt in the process)
• donate to a PAC (there are a few that are specifically for us and created by us that will push forward our agenda on Capital Hill as well as in local and state houses across the nation)
• and partner with former law enforcement (I know you are giving me the side-eye but that’s okay. We need them to help us know what we can do to dismantle a system that kills us for breathing. Use their inside knowledge to push for police reform that will get passed).

Activists and Capitalists need each other. We may be opposite sides of the same coin but coming together to create a tandem, collaborative strategy to push the agenda forward so we accomplish our mission is absolutely necessary. Activists are the moral, ethic fabric of our community while the Capitalists are the funders of the resources and opportunities that propel us. Both segments are needed to fight injustice.

And one of the most glaring oversights of injustice is the erasure of Black women in the public discussion against racism and police brutality.

We will not forget the women and girls whose lives were cut short by murderous law enforcement officers who have yet to be brought to justice. This is just a short list.

Let’s remember our sisters:

• Breonna Taylor
• Sandra Bland
• Ataiana Jefferson
• Pamela Turner
• Tyisha Miller
• Korryn Gaines
• Yvette Smith
• Miriam Carey
• Shelley Frey
• Darnesha Harris
• Malissa Williams
• Shantel Davis
• Rekia Boyd
• Aiyana Stanley-Jones
• Tarika Wilson
• Kathryn Johnston
• Kendra James
• Dr. Jameela Yasmeen Arshad
• Gabriella Nevarez
• Agatha Felix (An 8 year girl in Brazil)
• Shereese Francis
• Joyce Curnell
• Tiffany Mofield
• Natasha McKenna
• Deloise Epps and her daughter Mackayla Ross
• Charleena Lyles
• Dominque Clayton
• Renee Davis
• Eleanor Bumpurs
• Regis Korchinski-Paquet
• Layleen Polanco
• Michelle Cusseaux
• Aura Rosser
• LaTanya Haggerty
• Tanisha Anderson
• Deborah Danner
• Alesia Thomas
• Ma’Khia Bryant

This is the start of the transformation that is dismantling the system of oppression. We have a solid foundation from our grandparents and ancestors. It is NOW our turn to adapt to today’s time and push past until the system no longer exist.

We will prevail.