Black joy isn't just us having fun. It's a literal weapon of survival. Seriously!
It sucks that Black people are so good at surviving fascist Americans that wish us harm. But we are. We're kind of the world's leading experts on this.🤷🏿♂️
I see lots of folks talking about how to prepare for what's coming. I'm not saying those preparations are bad, but a lot of it is US-style rugged individualism.
My advice: Find your community. Strengthen those bonds. And find your sources of joy!
Oh so that's why mom is planning this whole party for thanksgiving.
@mekkaokereke This can not be stressed enough. I've been reaching out to old friends and former colleagues over the past few days, and it seriously helped, both me and the people I spoke with.
No mater what happens next, we have to remember we're not alone in this.
@ErickaSimone @mekkaokereke I genuinely wish I could say something useful that's not just a platitude.
And I don't sense that you're asking for advice, so let me just say, and I'm sure you've heard it from others on here, but I'm always here, happy to help in whatever little ways I can. ❤️
@ErickaSimone @stefan @mekkaokereke
Me too. It’s hard. I wish I could tell you what helps me but not much helping right now 🤷
@peterbutler Other than reaching out and checking on friends, I've also been recommending browsing the "MutualAid" hashtag. (And maybe you're already doing that! Just a general advice for those who have a bit of extra spare cash.)
And I get that people are hesitant to give money to strangers. What if it's a scam? What if this person deserves it more than that other person?
Fair. But you know what, just do it. Just today. Give $1 to 10-15 random people, if you want, what are the chances they're all scammers? Think about all the money you've wasted buying crap you ended up never using.
Just do something.
@mekkaokereke I know it's really hard to be hopeful right now. It takes a lot of effort.
But hope is contagious. See if you can call up just one friend, or just text them, ask how they're holding up. Let them know you're there if they need you. They'll do the same for people in their lives. It'll spread.
@mekkaokereke the trans community doesn't have much intergenerational teaching, because the few (chosen) families we have are largely within generations and the few biological families are completely outside the community
Also, the trans community likes to throw each other under buses for ideological purity (or rampant misunderstanding of terminology drift), with near zero investment in redemption
So thank you for explaining this. Honestly I think the only learning the White trans community does about surviving fascism is what we learn from Black families and Black community
@saraislet @mekkaokereke was about to write up the same, but this is much more eloquently put
as a white trans women finding community that doesn't just smell like patriarchy and racism repackaged is really hard. and honestly I think a large part, at least in my experience, is the white part, and not so much that our minority status is a low percentage dice roll
@saraislet @mekkaokereke I suspect AIDS unfortunately played a large role in cutting off newer generations from accumulated wisdom, as well, since we lost so many people who would have been queer elders.
(not only that, but the fact that LGBTQ people arise in every demographic means there's different challenges in forming communities together; we need to find each other somehow, then form community, and if that community isn't already there or we don't have a model of how to build it...)
@aud @mekkaokereke @[email protected]
Gay men do have intergenerational communities. I'm late Gen X. I have benefited from socializing with older gay men who were out during the 1980s. Some things I learned from them:
1) We need community organizations like choruses, motorcycle clubs, book groups, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
2) Running these organizations is work.
3) These organizations work best when they're fun.
Of course, the layer on top of all of this, that nobody's talking about, is covid. For people like me, with existing or high risk of disability, point 1 is largely a non-starter.
@mekkaokereke Thank you. I have a lot of respect for you, and your approach. Any community with Mekka in it, is a better community.
Stay safe!
yeah this is truly superb advice
finding sources of joy and knitting together/serving one's community are a hell of a lot more resilient than individualist prepper stuff
This can help https://timothysnyder.org/on-freedom
@mekkaokereke
Remember the Epicureans (the philosophers during the fall of Rome):
Good food, with pleasant company.
Make love with great friends.
Enjoy your garden. Wall off and tend your source of happiness and independence (hobbies, especially low cost sustainable ones).
Travel if you can afford it. Be open to new opportunities or relationships, even ones that might involve relocating.
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