Alabama, Selma, and Black Women!

Alabama....

Alabama spoke up for the world. However, folks acted shocked about the outcome of the recent, Senate election, including me. I guess we had forgotten about the successful Montgomery Boycott where people did not ride public transportation for 381 days. Yes, you read that right, 381 days. And, their efforts also caused the Supreme Court to make a federal decision that Montgomery HAD to integrate those buses, and Black folks could sit anywhere that they wanted to.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

Now, let’s talk about not riding those buses. What did that mean?

That meant that folks had to work together to get people to work, home, to the grocery store, to doctor’s appointment, and anywhere else that folks needed to go. I’m thinking about that Alabama heat and long dirt roads and many folks probably had to walk. Just knowing folks like I do, I know there were many days when people were like “Man, I can’t take this no more; I am getting on that bus.” BUT, they held out.

Selma...

The images of Dr. King and all of the other servant leaders trying to cross that Edmond Pettus bridge still horrifies me. To see those open water hoes being pointed directly on people can be a bit much to take. Yet, the folks went back and eventually successfully crossed that bridge.

Resilience.

Alabama has a history of resilience...

The stories that are coming from that November 12th Senate election are so inspiring. People deciding that they could and would be heard. I watched a video of one lady crying after voting; it was her first time. Another man who voted for the first time talked about how good he felt after he voted.

Y’all, it feels like an uprising in our country...

Black Women....

I can’t say enough about them. We show up, work our butts off, and never complain. It’s natural for most of us. When I see woman whining and complaining, I am always confused, especially when the women who are complaining just don’t carry some of the burdens that we carry.

Black Women Rock....

I love being a Black woman.

It’s Good!

Kind, Servant-Leader, Resisting.......

Recently, I read an incredible Young Adult (YA) book titled Dear Martin by Nic Stone. At the very end of the book, Stone posed a question: “Who would Martin BE???”

I know we talk a lot about the things that Dr. King would do or say if he was living, but today, I want to image who would Dr. King BE he if was with us today?

I believe that Dr. King would be kind, saying and doing the things that are needed, but in the spirit of kindness. I believe that he would be kind to all kinds of folks, even those who would spiteful come against him.

I believe that Dr. King would still be a servant-leader. A man who would continue to serve and serve humbly. You know, I think a lot about Dr. King being murdered while he was in Memphis, Tennessee to march with sanitation workers. I want to believe that he did not go into their meetings acting like he knew all of the answers, but I want to believe that he got to Memphis and listened with an empathic ear and took orders and did what the folks needed him to do.

I believe that he would still be resisting. Resisting with Kaepernick. Resisting with Immigrants. Resisting with Educators. Resisting Injustices in this country and other countries.

So, if Dr. King was living, I definitely could not put the pressure on him to be someone that I am not striving to be.....

I could not ask Dr. King to be kind, and I am not actively working to be kind.
I could not ask Dr. King to be a servant-leader, and I am not actively working to be a servant-leader.
I could not ask Dr. King to resist, when I am not actively resisting.

A question that I am asking myself is “Am I being what I would want Dr. King to be?”

For those of us who are on this side of the dirt, we still have time, and we may want to ask ourselves who are we being during our time?

Kind... Servant-Leader.... Resisting!

Grace and Mercy...

I got a lot of things on my mind, and I am not particularly in a happy place. So, if you are feeling really happy and want to stay there, skip this post......

Assumptions!

Today, I have been thinking a lot about assumptions, and how sometimes we make decisions based on assumptions, instead of facts. You know, the bible speaks of always getting an understanding, and so many times, we make decisions without getting an understanding.

For instance, I do no necessary talk about my cycling workouts that I do during the winter; it’s really nothing special. It’s just what I do. Just like I brush my teeth, go to work, and pick my afro, I do my cycling workouts. So, when folks say things that allude to me not riding, I want to punch folks or scream. I wonder why they won’t just ask... Get An Understanding.

However, then it goes back to me, and me being responsible for my response to folks. I’m thinking that maybe I could kindly say with a fake smile: “Man, I’ve being training.” Or, I could absorb folks assumptions the same way that the ground absorbs rain water?

Now, you know I am not a saint, and there are tons of decisions that I make that are based on assumptions, but know, I am trying to do better. This mindful living can be HARD! I am hearing God say Grace and Mercy, Grace and Mercy and not just for other folks, but for myself as well.

Last school year I did not challenge my Advanced Placement Literature students to do the 10 to 40 book challenge, I assumed that they were readers. Now, I know where the assumptions came from, but you know that I had no proof that my AP seniors read more than my tenth graders. However, after much discussion, I realized that the AP seniors needed to be challenged to read more just like the tenth graders. Now, everybody is encourage to go higher; there is always room to go higher.

Yep, I am guilty of acting on assumptions! Grace and Mercy......

Teaching!

Last year I spent a lot of time focusing on reading. I knew that many of my students were not readers, and I know that I was playing a part in doing full out Readicide. Yep, I was teaching books that I love, thinking that I was reaching the masses and was actually committing Readicide; killing kids love of reading. Gave the students choice, and it totally changed my classroom for the better.

This year, I needed to get that writing going along with the reading. After following, on twitter, a whole lot of folks who are farther along than me and taking their advice, I have been focusing on helping my students to get their thoughts out without the pressure of me and that red pen. We have been responding to the texts that they are reading through writing. I read their responses and respond, but I do not correct for grammar errors. However, I am noticing that I am not seeing many grammar errors, and I have some thoughts about why, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog.

Their one big writing piece was to fully develop whatever they wanted to write about. And, they have been writing. When they said they were finished, they would come and sit next to me, and we would talk through the papers and make correction as we went along.

Y’all, I have cried and cried and cried. One student sat next to me, and I read her story, and I wept, and she wept. When I finally was able to speak, all I could say is “I'm sorry.” We talked about it, and we both cried and cried. I read many more papers and asked questions and listened and cried.

The funny thing about my crying is that all of the students saw me crying, and you know, they were quiet and somber. No one laughed or asked what was wrong... They were just quiet and somber; we were sharing a moment.

Our young folks are courageously dealing with a lot, and I get the feeling that they do not want our sympathy; they want us to hear them with an empathic ear. I pray for them a lot and think about them a lot and cry a lot. Then, I try and meet them where they are....

Our Youth... Their Lives Matter!!!

That’s all I got!