Justice for Trayvon: Post-racial America? Yeah Right

Let me start by mentioning that a few weeks ago, a video went viral about a guy named Kony.  A guy who'd been doing bad things for a while but for some reason it became hip and trendy to call for justice now.  Some people "attacked" others for sharing and being outraged. While I always feel like people don't pay enough attention to home, I defended those supporting this cause, mainly because I felt like a lot of the folks complaining about them probably don't get involved in issues here in America or anywhere for that matter.

Then I start reading news articles about Trayvon Martin.  He was a 17 year old walking home with some candy and a can of tea when a self-appointed neighborhood watch leader shot him, claiming self defense.  The 911 call has been released, and although I have not yet been able to bring myself to listen to it, I'm told that one can hear the young boy pleading for his death before he was shot.  (Click here to hear the tape/read the transcription.)  The killer, George Zimmerman was never arrested.

My question is where is the outcry for Trayvon?  The Change.org petition to have this man prosecuted has struggled to reach 300k signatures, and is still around 25,000 signatures away from the goal.  Many people who changed their Facebook status messages, pictures and posted links about Kony have said nothing about Trayvon.  Where is his viral video? Where are the protests and the blogs and the trending topic on twitter?

People keep claiming that racism is dead.  Our president is a black man after all! Of course racism doesn't exist anymore! Being born and raised in southern Alabama, I see daily that these statements are false.  I don't think racism will ever be gone.  This young man's life was taken and no one seems to care.  Our people are constantly being treated as second class citizens in this country and it needs to stop.  Black parents should not be fearful of letting their children go outside because a trigger-happy neighbor with a gun and a prejudice against their skin tone may shoot them.

People, we need to wake up.

Welcome 2012...

Here it is.  2012.  I've never been so excited to see a new year come.  2011? Sucked ass.  Sure it could have been worse, but I am glad that it is over.  2011 began and ended with lost of love ones for me.  The middle of the year brought obstacles and heartache and things were just rough all year.  And let's not mention the 40 lbs. (or more) of weight gain. GASP. 

But 2012 will be better.  I'm claiming it.  I haven't made any resolutions this year.  I just plan to take care of me and enjoy my life more, as well as be more positive.  I'm going to journal more and I'm working on a "30 Before 30" list that will ensure I'm not just sitting around wishing I was doing more fun things.   (Just thinking maybe i should do 35 before 35 but I digress.)  

So what do I have planned for this year? I'm going to spoil Alexis. I'm going to go visit my Sorors and spend more time with my friends.  I'm going to LIVE.  I'm claiming health, happiness, LOVE and more.  Not everyone knows that I am currently "on a break" from vet school, but I claim that will end this year also.  I leave you with a tweet from Erykah Badu, the part about the fire spoke to me especially:

Hard to Say Goodbye...

Today is VERY bittersweet for me.  If you read , then you know that for me twitter has been a lot more than just a social network.  I get to meet some of my sorority sisters in person for the first time later today and I'm SUPER excited. But the event that led to this meet and greet was not a happy one.  We lost our Soror Crystal Y. Davis suddenly.  Everyone keeps saying that it doesn't feel real-- and it doesn't.  I feel as if I'm sitting here waiting to be shaken awake from a horrible nightmare, and she'll be there.  So far, no such luck.  Sickle cell took her from us, and knowing that she's no longer in any pain is comforting, but I find myself wanting to know why? Why her? Why us? Why her family and her daughters? I am unable to make it to DC for the services, so my sorors and I will celebrate HER life today in New Orleans.  Rest In Paradise big sis.  We love you and miss you. And like Cyd said, you're dancing with the angels now.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope everyone enjoys this day and has lots of family and love surrounding them.

Go Girl It's Ya Birthday...

... however there will be no partying.  Today I turn 28 years young.  BUT I will still tell people 25.  27 was a CRAZY year for me. The year started bad, was bad in the middle and ended badly.  But you know what? I am alive, kinda healthy, and I have a ton of family, friends, and Sorors who love me.  And to be truly loved by these people that I have in my life? Best gift anyone could receive.  Things could be better but they could be worse, so I am thankful to see another birthday.

I'll actually be at work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights (which kinda sucks but Lord knows I'm blessed and thankful for this job), but when the clock strikes 12am Wednesday morning, I'm going to celebrate.  Not just for me but for my Soror Cryssy, a fellow Sagittarius, whose birthday celebration I could not attend and now she's no longer with us.


Oh and this song will be on repeat at several different times today. Rihanna- Birthday Cake.

More than Just a Social Network...

Twenty four hours ago I received proof that twitter is more than just a social network.  It came in form of a text from my Soror Z who said she had bad news.  She told me that she'd called to check on our Soror Cryssy Davis and was told that she had passed.  Surely I was reading this incorrectly. No way this was right. Maybe she'd dialed the wrong number.  So many things went through my head.  How could this be happening? She has two young daughters under age 4- one only a few months old.  Surely they have not lost their mother.  And then the tears started to flow.

And honestly they haven't really stopped.  I got no sleep yesterday.  I got on twitter early, hoping to have been awakened from what seemed like a bad dream.  What I saw only made the flow of tears increase.  so many people loved Cryssy. She touched SO many of us and what's weird is that a lot of us haven't met her face to face.  It is proof that you can love someone you haven't met that, that they can be an important part of your life, through texts, emails and tweets.

I hadn't known her long but I knew her long enough to know that she had such a big heart.  She was full of love and genuinely cared about people.  After having her baby she was the one checking on me when I was having a rough time and in need of encouragement.  I can't tell you all how much it meant to see the simple message "how are you doing today baby girl?"  You just had a baby, I should be checking on you, but she had to make sure that I was doing okay.

She definitely left an imprint in my heart and memory forever, and I noticed today the amount of my Sorors who felt the same way.  Some new her longer, some had spent time with her in person, but we all loved her and we all miss her already.  And her love reached so much further than just my sorority sisters. Other friends of hers who also loved her, and who were brought into our lives by her, people who I can also say that I care about, expressed their love for Cryssy.  In the end one thing was evident-- no way was this "just twitter." It's like we have a little family.  A crazy family that makes us laugh, gives us advice, shares their lives with us in so many ways.  I plan to start meeting more of my twitter family, but even if I don't, they all have a special place in my heart.

Don't Put a Bad Word in Your Soul...

The picture above is a tweet from Kirk Franklin.  It pretty much speaks for itself.  This is why you shouldn't ask everybody to pray for you.  And it's why I can't understand people who still support Eddie Long and others like him.  Why are you still sitting in THAT church on Sundays?