vote

Who Is Jim Crow?

by ladypbwiggins

Most of my young life I lived under the Jim Crow laws. But who exactly is Jim Crow? All this time I assumed he was someone politically influential during the Civil War or the Reconstruction. I finally looked him up only to discover he is a character in a minstrel show. An actor named Rice created a black-faced character for his show. It is said he was not the only but he was the most successful.  His character satisfied his audiences fascination with Black life, culture. It also provided the opportunity to create and perpetuate negative stereotypes. No one knows how this character became associated with the laws.

If we are not careful we might just allow another or other actors create and perpetuate negative stereotypes.  It has already led to increased public deaths: the new lynchings. Don’t let them take the vote. Even if you think nothing will change for us vote anyway. Don’t give your voice, your power away.

My Vote Doesn’t Matter

by ladypbwiggins

How much effort do you put into stopping something that doesn’t matter? I suspect very little to none. If your vote doesn’t matter why are people working so hard to make it difficult for you to cast it? Why are they closing polling places near you? Why are they trying to institute disguised poll tax on you before you can vote? Why is mail-in being questioned during this pandemic. It’s been working in several states with no problem? Could it be that once that ballot is placed in the mailbox it is a federal offense to tamper with it? Seems like a lot of effort if it doesn’t matter.

There are very real reasons you should vote. I’m speaking to my Black family now. Many have bled and died so you could. It was a birthright that we were denied. Did they, your grandparents, great-parents go through that because it really didn’t matter. They recognized that it gave them a powerful voice that they had been denied.

Additionally, if you don’t vote you prove Massa was right. You aren’t capable of making such weighty decisions. You are triflin’ and lazy. You need the safety and protection of Massa on his plantation. You will get scraps to eat, a few rags to wear and a shack to live in and it’s not free. You will have to accept working hard for no wages, rape when he feels like it, beatings because you forgot and tried to express independent thought. This is what giving up your powerful voice will look like once again.

I, for one, will not return to this. I lived through the 60’s struggle. I lived in the Jim Crow south. While I was never beaten, I had friends who were. I lived under the daily threat. I went to the meetings and participated in local marches that could have resulted in that kind of brutality. I saw the look on my grandparents faces when they had to swallow their pride and go to the back door to get food at roadside restaurants. I had to watch my strong, proud great-grandmother say yes m’am to a white girl younger than me because it meant survival. I had to live with the colored/white only signs. The accommodations were separate but not equal. I lived the “back of the bus” experience. I also participated in the boycott. That was economic power in action. If am going to live and work on this plantation called the United States of America, I am going to have a say on how it’s run. I am going to have a say in the laws, privileges, benefits, punishments and my relative safety.

Your vote matters. Don’t give up your power. Don’t become a slave because of cynicism, past disappointments, a feeling of powerlessness. These are the tools Massa is happy to use to get you to give up your power. If nothing else vote to make him a lie.

VOTE! It’s your voice. It’s your power. It matters!

Voiceless, Powerless

by ladypbwiggins

Why is there such a strong effort to bar people from the vote? Why is there such a determined attitude to keep certain people from the table? Why are lies spread that discourage people from trying? Because if I can keep you unheard, I will render you powerless.

This is the strategy of those who want to retain the power for themselves. We have seen the shift in our society because certain groups lost their voice.

During the severest time of the economic crisis, the 90%-ers spoke up and they were silenced. The method: make them appear crazy. There are always those who jump on the bandwagon with little understanding of the purpose or they just want to cause trouble. Were they infiltrated?

Black Lives Matter spoke up and suddenly there was an attempt to silence the sound of their voice.Speak up Black folks at the polls, in the arts, in the classroom. When we as an organized group did before, the nation and the world listened.

Y’shua or Jesus followers where are your voices? The world hears the voices of the religious Christians but not His followers. Is there a difference? Yes. Much like the Pharisees during Jesus’ time, the religious Christians adhere to the letter of the Word and selectively at that. Religious Christians check off the doctrinal boxes and are quite judgmental. They judge everyone but themselves. Y’shua followers, don’t have to agree with what you are doing but have the compassion to help you, listen to you, respect you while explaining why they believe you are wrong. That’s what He did. There is no condemnation.He only condemned the self righteous.

It seems those bent on destruction have no problem raising their voices of hate. Where are the voices of sanity, righteousness, hope, love, compassion, wisdom, construction?  Take back your power. Be heard.

As Michael Jackson so eloquently put it, Take a look at yourself and make a change.

Get educated about the candidates for Congress. We need to elect people who represent us. These last eight years this Congress, both Democrats and Republicans have represented a select few. Some have been there longer than many of us have been alive. It is time for a change. Select people who care about the welfare of the country. Let’s stop this political game of Dems vs Repubs.  We have abdicated power to them. Let’s take it back.

This should not stop with Congress. The candidates that affect you immediately are local. Check out any judges, assembly men and women, mayors, council people that are up for election.

We, the people, should be heard!

Take back your power!

Raise Your Voice!