Thanks for sharing this, Tirrea. I wish you peace--at least in moments like the ones you describe beautifully above. And I thank you for your honesty and your ongoing work.
Thanks for sharing, I hear you. I feel you. As someone who works in philanthropy as well, in the black city of Detroit, MI… I can still resonate with so much of what you shared. Take care of you by any and all means. Your health and fulfillment is too important.
Hi Veronica, thank you for reading my work. And it's affirming to know that it resonates with you! Thank you for the reminder to take care of myself 🙏🏾 our wellbeing is more important than anything else.
As a white man living in the US, its hard for me to comment on something so deep and painful that I will never experience. But I can say that I absolutely feel your fatigue through your words. The US is one of the ugliest countries in the world for humanity and its exhausting living here period. What you have described is critical for the world to listen to. You are a great writer. Thank you for sharing this.
I appreciate that you named your positionality and didn't try to center your experience in this conversation, while recognizing the fatigue that I feel. This country has always been ugly and exhausting, but solidarity from people like you makes it a little easier to keep fighting. Thank you for reading my work!
I get the exhaustion, and the feeling of begging. I often think the same thing, too.
As I read your piece, I thought of this Toni Morrison quote -
The function, the very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being. Somebody says you have no language and you spend twenty years proving that you do. Somebody says your head isn’t shaped properly so you have scientists working on the fact that it is. Somebody says you have no art, so you dredge that up. Somebody says you have no kingdoms, so you dredge that up. None of this is necessary. There will always be one more thing.
This quote is so spot on. We’re forced to spend our limited energy trying to prove our oppressors wrong instead of building what our communities actually need. All the constant demands for proof of impact from funders just keep us jumping through hoops. And it's all by design.
Thanks for sharing this, Tirrea. I wish you peace--at least in moments like the ones you describe beautifully above. And I thank you for your honesty and your ongoing work.
I really appreciate that, Steve! Thank you, and thank you for continuing to read and support my work.
Thanks for sharing, I hear you. I feel you. As someone who works in philanthropy as well, in the black city of Detroit, MI… I can still resonate with so much of what you shared. Take care of you by any and all means. Your health and fulfillment is too important.
Hi Veronica, thank you for reading my work. And it's affirming to know that it resonates with you! Thank you for the reminder to take care of myself 🙏🏾 our wellbeing is more important than anything else.
I feel you, Tirrea. Exhausting, enraging. We carry on.
Yes exactly. Feel the feels and keep walking anyway. It doesn't get easier! But it's always worth it.
As a white man living in the US, its hard for me to comment on something so deep and painful that I will never experience. But I can say that I absolutely feel your fatigue through your words. The US is one of the ugliest countries in the world for humanity and its exhausting living here period. What you have described is critical for the world to listen to. You are a great writer. Thank you for sharing this.
I appreciate that you named your positionality and didn't try to center your experience in this conversation, while recognizing the fatigue that I feel. This country has always been ugly and exhausting, but solidarity from people like you makes it a little easier to keep fighting. Thank you for reading my work!
I get the exhaustion, and the feeling of begging. I often think the same thing, too.
As I read your piece, I thought of this Toni Morrison quote -
The function, the very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being. Somebody says you have no language and you spend twenty years proving that you do. Somebody says your head isn’t shaped properly so you have scientists working on the fact that it is. Somebody says you have no art, so you dredge that up. Somebody says you have no kingdoms, so you dredge that up. None of this is necessary. There will always be one more thing.
This quote is so spot on. We’re forced to spend our limited energy trying to prove our oppressors wrong instead of building what our communities actually need. All the constant demands for proof of impact from funders just keep us jumping through hoops. And it's all by design.