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Just when we thought the craziness of 2020 was over, 2021 kicked the door in.
Only six days into the new year, the country’s peace was shattered. Not only did African Americans lose beloved novelist Eric Jerome Dickey, whose books impacted many of our college lives, many white Americans lost their minds.
On the afternoon of January 6th, a crowd of sore losers in red hats and Daniel Boone-style caps gathered in Washington, DC as Congress was set to confirm America’s newly-chosen leader, President-elect Joe Biden. The domestic terrorists joined together in support of their candidate, who had lost not only the popular vote, but also the electoral college.
The angry mob believed that the election had been stolen from them, that voter fraud ran rampant, and that the South would rise again. Encouraged by messages that their victory had been “stolen by emboldened radical Left Democrats…and the fake news media,” they vowed that they would “…never give up…never concede.”
With American flags flying high and guns at their sides (but without masks), the violent rioters marched to the steps of Capitol Hill around 1pm, pushed past a smattering of Capitol Police, scaled the walls, and stormed the building, pausing Congress’s count of the electoral votes. As they filled the halls, pouting because they hadn’t gotten their way, senators and members of the House were confined to their chambers during a building lockdown.
Amid the chaos, a woman was shot and later died.
By Wednesday evening, a 6pm curfew had been initiated–but we had already seen the officer in riot gear politely helping a white woman in a Trump hat down the Capitol steps; watched the mob tear down the railing for the inauguration and throw it at officers, and hear the news report that 5 weapons had been seized and there were only 13 arrests.
In stark contrast to the massive show of police force in response to Black Lives Matter demonstrations after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, Capitol Police were slow to quell the violence, even taking pictures with the thugs who stormed the building. The mob was allowed to “do their thing,” while Capitol police actually tried to reason with them.
“When Black folks are protesting and progressives are protesting peacefully they were tear-gassed, they were arrested, they were shot with rubber bullets. They were shot with real bullets,” said Derrick Johnson, president of the national NAACP. “We watched it take place all summer long when people were peacefully demonstrating.”
And after all of the window smashing, wall climbing, vandalizing, and whining like petulant children, the count resumed and Joseph R. Biden Jr. was still declared the winner of the presidential election.
While DC seems to have quieted for now, there’s no telling what will happen in the days leading up to the inauguration. We all know that had the protestors had been Black and Brown, the outcome would’ve been much different. So how do well quell the disappointment we feel in our souls? How do we preserve our peace of mind, and our sense of self? As we reset the “days without white nonsense” counter to 0, here are 10 ways to protect your peace during white thuggery.
1. Log off. The news can be overwhelming, with constant reports of the virus, vaccines, and failed coups. Log out out Facebook, turn off your devices, and walk away.
2. Binge watch Bridgerton. Distract yourself from white thuggery by catching up on all the tea from Lady Whistledown. Created by executive producer Shonda Rhimes, Bridgerton is an adaptation of a Julia Quinn romance novel–but it’s a steamy British Gossip Girl-esque series to get lost in for 8 episodes.
3. Meditate. Meditation can help us to gain clarity, increase our self awareness, and reduce negative emotions. Find a quiet corner, pop in your earbuds, and zone out to a guided meditation in the Calm app.
4. Try a restorative yoga sequence. Like meditation, yoga can help us to manage stress and lift our moods. It’s also great for improving flexibility–all those hours hunched over our phone screens scrolling Twitter for CNN updates can wreak havoc on our necks and backs.
5. Plan your 2021 goals. Even though you’d probably like to cancel your 7- day trial of 2021, the year can still be full of promise. Focus on how you’d like to end the year, and write it down. Actually writing down your goals helps your mind to envision the future you want.
6. Support Black owned businesses and creatives. The mob who stormed the Capitol will likely return to their lives, with little to no consequences. They won’t be charged with violating the city’s curfew, resisting arrest, or face the fines, loss of employment, or stigma many of those who participated in Black Lives Matter protests do. Help build Black communities, close the racial wealth gap, and empower Black businesses and creatives with your financial support. The new Telfar bag dropped yesterday and sold out within minutes, but you can shop other brands like Mess In A Bottle, donate to legal defense funds, or give towards communities like Unfit Christian, which works to decolonize millennials’ view of God from the man-made sexism, homophobia, racism, and classism of the church.
7. Lose yourself in a good book. The new year is a perfect time to dive into some new literature. The Alchemist is a favorite for many during this time of year, and Brittany Hennessy’s Influencer is on a lot of lists.
8. Follow some new people on Instagram. If your feed isn’t full of beautiful families, inspiring movers and shakers, or jokes and memes about yesterday’s events, add some new faces. How about these 10 Moms To Follow Into the New Year?
9. Burn some sage. Smudging is an ancient Native American spiritual practice, meant to mark the beginning of ceremonies. The clouds of smoke are used to purify a space and clear negative energies. Actually, I’m not sure there’s a big enough bundle of sage to cleanse America, and it probably won’t work because the country was stolen from Native Americans anyway.
10. Mind your business. In a 1963 speech, Malcolm X described the result of a climate of hate as “chickens coming home to roost.” Whether due to karma, the “African angels” Paula White tried to summon, or the spirits of our enslaved ancestors rising up, America’s chickens are coming home to roost, and this moment in time really has nothing to do with Black Americans. We did our civic duty. We showed out for Joe and Kamala. Stacy Abrams saved her whole state. We tried to tell y’all.
- Why Every Birth Needs A Doula - February 10, 2021
- How to Protect Your Peace During White Thuggery - January 7, 2021
- 10 Moms to Follow Into the New Year - December 30, 2020
