Uncategorized posts featuring general Monique Minutiae
Good morning!
As I have shared in my writing as of late, I have not been in a good place mentally over the last few weeks.
Depression is a monster, and when it takes over, even the smallest of tasks can feel insurmountable. The inability to focus long enough to get anything done is a productivity killer, and for someone like me who works primarily as a freelancer or contract worker, that means it’s an income killer as well.
Continue readingToday I called my mom to ask her a question, and she told me that she was really sad today. I asked her why, and she said the news about the Buffalo shooting had really upset her.
“All those women were older Black women just going for groceries in a store they fought to have in their neighborhood,” she said, her voice cracking.
I tried to soothe her, but what can you say, really?I know it hit home for her because she’s in her 70s. I know the thought occurred to her that it could easily be her in a store one day.
The people in that store were targeted because they were Black. That is horrifying to think about, but it is definitely our American reality.
I’m scared for all of us. You never know where one of these people may show up and decide to pull something like this.
I listened to my mother sob today, the fear in her voice, and there was really nothing I could say to make her feel better.
I told her not to spend her entire day feeling sad, but how do you prevent that when we live in this country
A country where they won’t legislate guns, but they will legislate the private decisions women make with their bodies.I just wanted to give her a hug and tell her it was going to be all right. But we all know that’s a lie. It’s going to get worse.Love your people and hold on to them tight.
Today, a friend informed me that I am quoted in a book they are currently reading called What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat, by Aubrey Gordon. She cited my article I wrote Quantasia Sharpton, the woman who sued Usher for giving her herpes. When her lawsuit was originally reported, people laughed it off and said there was no way Usher would sleep with a fat woman like that. I disagreed.
Go me!
Bring back personal blogging.
I am currently out of office, enjoying the 4/20 holiday in Las Vegas with two of my best girlfriends. There has been lots of room service, lots of sun in front of the pool, and lots of alcoholic beverages.
I have had two pieces publish this week, and a third is going live tomorrow. When you work for yourself, there truly are no “off days.”
In advance of the series’ last episode, I had a chance to speak with series creator Kenya Barris and actors Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross and Jenifer Lewis about the impact and the legacy of the show.
Black culture dictates so much of popular culture that for many people who are not Black, those lines can become blurred to the point of erasing its origins. At its best, black-ish was adept at showcasing Black culture in a way that was consumable and understandable for everyone, and Barris says that was intentional.
me, on black-ish
Kenya Barris told me, “I would be a liar if I said the goal wasn’t to get an episode two and a little bit more money in my bank account, but as the show went on, we realized we wanted to talk about things. It got to a point where we realized the show was too important, and we had to stand for something. And it stood for something, because people started trusting us, and we had to talk to them about things other people wouldn’t talk to them about. It became sort of like journalism.”
As you toke up today, please remember that many Black people have been locked up on simple possession charges while white “ganjapreneurs” continue to profit from sales.
I discuss this in my latest for theGrio.