June Newsletter

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Black Lives Matter

The past few weeks every time I wake up I am instantly disappointed that life is not a dream. I really do live in the U.S. where someones who’s dad was in the KKK is the president. Where since slavery has ended Black men have been criminalized to exploit the portion of the revised 13th amendment that makes prisoners slaves. I actually live in a time when there are more people in jail than there ever was in “slavery”. The land of 5% of the worlds population and the home of 25% of the world prisoners!

These issues are not new and have been compounding my entire life. I have never felt stress to the point of sleep deprivation until I realized that my son that will grow up to be a target and viewed as a walking threat if things in the U.S. do not change for the better.

My therapist concluded my worries for Issa’s future coupled with hysteria caused by the Corona virus; Black men being killed and converted to hashtags every month; mistreatment of protesters streaming non-stop on Facebook; the recent murder of George Floyd and mounting lynching cases to be the complete cause of acute stress. Now, I think I can diagnose all Black moms in America with the same case of “WTF” that I have.

Issa learned of slavery in-depth when I took him to the African American Museum last year. I told him the entire building was dedicated to Black History and he responded “I’m Black?!” and everyone looked at me. This was truly and example that children are born a blank slate. Issa was angry to see and learn more of this history. The only thing that calmed his spirit was seeing Federick Douglas and Lincoln who he learned “freed” the slaves in school. He also coped by thinking of slavery and racism as a thing of the past. He spoke of the injustice and referenced the chains that he saw for weeks.

I deliberated for days before I told him about what is currently going on in the world. Remembering how the discussion of slavery surprised and saddened him. I used news reports and some of my own words to tell Issa what happened to George Floyd. He was angry his first response was, “I want to beat the police with a stick”. On that particular night D.C. was on fire, when I showed Issa the picture he said, “We are getting our payback mom.” I said, “We are going to sleep and we will figure out what we can do to help the cause when we wake up.”

Below are the pictures of our trip to Black Lives Matter Plaza and my interview with Issa about police brutality.

My Pan African Flag Story

In 2015, I assisted my sister on a family photoshoot for my mentor. After the shoot my mentors father saw me in a floor length black pea coat. His facial expression reflected deep thought, as if I reminded him of something or someone. He gave me a little pin with a flag on it and told me to place it on my lapel. He said, “Red is for the blood of your ancestors, black is for the people and green is for the land. When you see the sea remember there are millions of bodies in the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and sometimes death is the price of freedom.” I was shocked, honored and sad.

I wouldn’t be until much later that I would learn more about the flag. I felt chills when I read about the origins and the creator because what they were fighting for in 1920 we are still fighting for now. To learn more about the history of the Pan American Flag also known as the UNITY flag click here.

Photo courtesy of NPR website.

FOOD

Abe’s has found great success in making amazing vegan muffins. The crumb cakes an brownies were OK. The muffins are a ten! Thus far blueberry, chocolate chip and the cornbread have been the highlight of my life! All of the following items and be found at Mom’s grocery store in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Indulgent!

Very good!

Lots of veggies just add a little salt

Quorn Vegan Patties

The only green juice I can tolerate. Can’t get with the ginger, celery green drinks.

Thanks for reading!!

Mielle Rice Water collection review coming soon.