An Open Letter to America – By Marshata Caradine, M.Ed.
Allow me to start with a quote by Amy Hunter, “I WOULD RATHER DIE FIGHTING FOR MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILD TO BE FREE, THAN TO LIVE WATCHING THEM BE CAPTIVE”
I am here reflecting on the Most Hated Woman in America by the name of Madalyn Murray O’Hair. You do recall her, right? She was the driving force behind the eradication of prayer out of our schools. She stood upon her Constitutional rights and won.
Today in 2018, this one Black woman is demanding me and my family’s FULL citizenry that America somehow feel that we are not due. I would like to demand that America see and hear Black and Brown citizens. We are citizens, have always been citizens and will be citizens.
During the trial of Mr. Dred Scott who sued for rights as a free slave and loss, we POC have been taking L’s ever since honestly. Mr. Dred Scott’s presiding Judge, Roger B. Taney declared that “They [slaves and their descendants] are not included, and are not intended to be included, under the word ‘citizens’ in the Constitution, and can therefore, claim none of the rights and privileges which that instrument provides for and secures to citizens of the United States.”
In 2017, Mr. Taney descendent by the name of (Richard Taney) publically apologized to Mr. Scott’s descendants by the name of(Lynn Jackson) for the gross injustice, malpractice and maltreatment and in 2018, we POC are STILL seeing the same maltreatment and malpractice?
America have perfected what REgifting oppression, suppression, dominance, regression, abuse, misuse, maltreatment and malpractice looks like. We are LEGISLTED the most inhumane living conditions, our children are forced to attend some of the most antiquated educational systems where they are not prepared for their tomorrow. Educators of today (OF COURSE NOT ALL) are there because of the system America has constructed for them to advance. We work long, hard, just, honorably and America manage to paint us and our children in the must unjust, illegal and unfair light as we hold up this country. What’s at the bottom is what is holding everyone up.
During this season of the hustle and bustle, I would like end with not only I but EVERY BLACK AND BROWN PERSON MATTER!
Yes, I am a woman, I am a Black woman, I am an articulate woman, I am an educated woman, I am unafraid woman because I have no reason to be afraid about DEMANDING my life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, I am an upright citizen, I am an educator, I am going to be heard, seen and felt, I am financially challenged because of the construct of this country, I am assured no voice, no position and no change because of big money in politics and those who are far removed will intentionally dictate, control my reality and benefit greatly from my oppressive and ignorant reality. It is those of us who are at the bottom that is upholding those with the power over our lives and I am sure we are about to shift.
How are we not permitted to claim PTSD (POLY TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDERS) when America legislate our slow but timely demise? America intentionally legislate our trauma, oppression, regression, lack, pain and suffering and then criminalize the very issues that they cause all by a stroke of a pen.
How long must we suffer from this STROKE? A stroke is damage to the brain due to lack of blood supply. When someone suffers from a stroke, they are no longer in their original state. When someone suffers from a stroke, they lose usage of their limbs. A stroke begin to become evident in many forms: muscularly, physiologically, visually, audibly, sensory facially, lose of limb usage and have words attached to it like: difficulty, paralysis, weakness, coordinated, problems, disorder, fatigue, imbalance, overactive, blurred vision, suddenly, slurred, loss, pins and needles, reduced, weakness, numbness, inability to understand, mental confusion.
Each and every one of those words is what it means to be poor, Black and Brown in America; a land of great wealth and prosperity but yet zone us into impoverishment. This is a visual of our poverty, education malpractice, curriculum discrimination, hunger, homelessness, grossly underemployment and ills that plague us, poor Black and Brown people.
I will begin with a poignant quote by Dr. Nelson Mandela, “Like slavery, like apartheid, POVERTY is not natural. It is manmade and it can be overcome by the actions of humans beings.”
A STROKE of a pen dictates education malpractice or high quality education
A STROKE of a pen dictates community beautification or zoned impoverishment
A STROKE of a pen dictates poverty or abundance
A STROKE of a pen dictates a people treated humanely or inhumanely
A STROKE of a pen dictates equality or inequality
A STROKE of a pen dictates equitably or inequitably
A STROKE of a pen dictates crime ridden or safe communities
A STROKE of a pen dictates inclusion or exclusion in the guise of JUST laws and policies
A SINGLE STROKE……
How will we as a country see its poor, homeless, downtrodden, Black and Brown citizens suffer through legislated STROKES at the hands of pen wielders for ill will and not good will?
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, this is our moment.
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, this is our season.
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, no longer should we ACCEPT failure, mediocrity, abuse and misuse as the standard and norm when it comes to us and our loved ones.
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, how much longer are we going to hold up the world and remain at the bottom?
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, how long must we watch our families struggle with no end in sight?
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, it is time for OUR voices to be heard.
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, it is time for our demands to be met.
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, how long are we going to sit back and allow America to inject us with toxicity and chemicals that cause our early DEMISE and is passed through our bloodlines (CANCER, KIDNEY DISEASE, DIABETES are all BIG businesses)?
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, it is time for us to strategize, build and reclaim our village.
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, we are failing our children.
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, we are the original doulas, we need to get back into position.
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, no longer should policies, laws and rules be made and we don’t even know the conversation is being had let alone not invited to the discussion suite and decision making tables about OUR LIVES, OUR CHILDREN LIVES.
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, how do we assure everyone else BILLS AND NOTES are paid and we continually struggle?
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, since the beginning of time we have birthed, nurtured, raised, served, protected EVERYONE ELSE CHILDREN, now it is our time to learn, teach and get back the village?
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, we are known to be creative, ingenious, hone mad skills and the reason why this country is what it is; we never needed brick and mortar?
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, WE MUST: BE BELIEVED, BE SUPPORTED, LEAD, BE ENCOURAGED, BE ELEVATED, GET EDUCATED (not talking about schools) AND GET FUNDED.
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, I just learned about intergenerational and generational PTSD and it is something to behold, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN enough of giving our brilliance, skills, talents and creativity away.
#EPA #EnvironmentalProtectionAgency and #ACE #AffordableCleanEnergy
I learned of a phrase when speaking about immigrant children called TRAUMATIC PSYCHOLOGICAL INJURY.
We won’t, can’t, musn’t and shouldn’t be discussing 45 administration being warned of traumatic psychological injury of immigrant children and LEAVE OUT US, #POC, right?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to be LEGISLATED living conditions that preexisting conditions is a given?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to have to play small, be diminished when all you want to do is LIVE AND PRODUCE YOUR BEST LIFE?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to know ALL THINGS are deeply rooted in MONEY and without livable wages, reputable employment the spiral begins and Whites HOLD our strings?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to see WHITE FACES in our inner city schools who hate, fear, dislike, refuse authentic relationships, have great disdain, low expectations and standards and do NOT have to extract the greatness, resourcefulness, brilliance from our BLACK STUDENTS while being paid to FAIL AND CRIMINALIZE our children of color along with eradicating their student loans?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury when WHITE FOLKS are not only MORE believable about MY reality but will be paid to speak on it?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to walk or drive through our neighborhoods and see drug dealers, street walkers and jails in our residential areas like that is something to aspire to become?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to be the ones who make business doors open and close and they not only disrespect us, call us derogatory names but take money out of our communities of color and never invest within us nor do their children attend our failing schools but we keep them living afloat and we are spineless, detached, disengaged, tired of fighting LEGISLATED ignorance?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to be LEGISLATED education malpractice for decades and NEVER able to hold anyone accountable or responsible for failing our children?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury walking your pride and joy into educational institutions and they are met with police officers at age 5 and 6?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to know your children are paying the salaries of those who are FORCED to execute an antiquated curriculum to a 21st Century tech savvy generation?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to be LEGISLATED the worse education and matriculate to only be told because you have degrees does not mean they HAVE to hire you or pay you your worth?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury when we do what America tells us to do and then have systems in place to maintain, suppress and oppress. Same vicious tactics different packaging.
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to constantly apply for reputable employment and denied, omitted, rejected or give some lame excuses as to WHY you are not a good fit?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to work long and hard and the nutritional value you NEED for GOOD HEALTH is too expensive so you buy food that contributes to cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes because it is the cheapest?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to KNOW that it is LEGISLATED that ones zip code determines resources, opportunities, progression or living conditions says HIGH LEVELS of LEAD, ASBESTOS and other invisible, toxic, deadly chemicals that causes early death?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to CONSTANTLY be in need and those who have and obtained off of the backs of the poor and BLACKS refuse, deny, reject, look away or just never respond?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to have our children today attend a school where it looks familiar to their parents who have been out for 26 years?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to know your children are not given the same adequate education as affluent children and it is not their ability but the availability that is legislated DOUBLE D’s?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to worry from sun up to sun down about your man and/or woman child because America does NOT see their innocence or humanity but build and hue?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury that America created DOUBLE D’S (Distance and Dollars) to replace the Whites Only sign?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to WAIT on that dreaded knock saying Ma’am, Sir we need you to come with us to identify these remains?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to walk or drive through neighborhoods dilapidated filled, streets crumbling, apartment windows are shattered, everything that convey WE DO NOT MATTER, MY STUDENTS DO NOT MATTER, BLACK LIVES DO NOT MATTER?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to know in our KKKountry we have local, state, and federal organizations who KNOW, UNDERSTAND, PARTICIPATE AND ALLOW the plight of BLACK LIVES but do and have done absolutely NOTHING to write/right these 400 years of wrongs?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to CONSTANTLY have to turn cheeks, love unconditionally and forgive when these atrocities upon Black bodies are inhumane, illegal, unwarranted, unjust and indescribable?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury that they will invest in our POOR BLACK children muscles and NOT also their minds?
Is it NOT traumatic psychological injury to know American can poison, frame, kill and deliver drugs and guns into the inner cities and imprison them because of the assurance of them not being able to decipher, interpret and understand the language?
THIS IS AMERICA!
THIS IS THE VICIOUS, HATEFUL, RACIST, DIVISIVE AND UNGODLY TRAUMATIC PSYCHOLOGICAL INJURY AMERICA HAS INFLICTED UPON US AND HAVE BEEN PASSED DOWN FOR THE PAST 400 YEARS.
AMERICA, TIME’S UP!!!!!!!
Leave a Reply