i talk like this 'cause i can back it up
thoughts on not being humble anymore + reads & vibes for your weekend
Hi friend - we made it to another weekend! Finally!
thoughts at large.
If there’s one thing that gets me hyped, it’s a really good basketball game. This season, the NCAA Women’s Tournament was way more lit than the men’s and - just in case you’ve been under a rock since Sunday… the women from LSU won their game against Iowa, and are the national champions.
Two superstars emerged from this battle, Caitlin Clark who lit up the tournament with multiple 40pt games, and Angel Reese, the Bayou Barbie who led her team to victory.
In doing so, however, they lowkey started a race war on social media. If I’m being honest, it’s difficult for me to view things outside the lens of racism, because… well, it’s everywhere and in everything. What can I say? I tried to look at this situation through basketball terms alone but it’s way more than that. When it was clear that LSU would win, Angel began to taunt Caitlin on the court. Could she have skipped that? Sure, she could have. But that’s how she felt at the moment. Should a woman fresh out of her teens be able to express those emotions? I had never seen so many people, of all races, subtly and not so subtly shade a student-athlete. Even the First Lady of the United States tried to offer a consolation prize to the losers after seeing what happened on the court. And we expect the girl to be quiet, gracious, and apologize after all these adults have piled on her? Be so for real right now.
Here’s my thing. Black women are always expected to be humble winners and gracious losers. That expectation is often levied disproportionately. Everyone doesn’t have that expectation. But what happens when you’ve earned the right to talk your talk?
This is something I’ve struggled with, especially as a woman in my 30s. Growing up in church, it was impressed upon me that I should be humble, and let God get the glory in every situation. I still think that’s true, but what I’ve learned is that there’s a difference between being humble and shrinking. I should be able to speak about the things that I’ve been able to accomplish through my hard work and dedication to my craft without worrying about how that makes someone else feel based on their own insecurities.
My hope for you, and for me, is that we start talking our talk a little bit more. Especially because I know you. You’re like me. You work hard and you deserve to be celebrated for your accomplishments, even if that means celebrating yourself.
Love you, mean it.
need you to know.
Donald Trump got indicted and is allegedly hiding a child.
Two Black Tennessee State Representatives were expelled from their seats after staging a gun violence protest on their house floor. The White rep that protested with them was not expelled.
A man was arrested with a massive arsenal of weapons and ammunition on the campus of North Carolina A&T, and parents are mad at the lack of communication from university leadership.
4 Black Students at Harvard were awoken at gunpoint as apparent victims of a “swatting” attack.
Justice Clarence Thomas has been secretly accepting lavish gifts from a Republican donor, allegedly.
reads + vibes.
What do we really want from Chris Brown? via Rolling Stone (this is a deep dive into the many violent accusations against Chris over the years. Trigger Warning: DV, r*pe.)
Alert!!! The Baddest, Trina, has a Tiny Desk Concert *PSA: language is not safe for work* LOL!
There is a lot of new music today!
Rae Sremmurd - Sremm 4 Life: apple | spotify
Daniel Caesar - NEVER ENOUGH: apple | spotify
KAYTRANADA & Aminé (KAYTRAMINÉ) - 4EVA ft Pharrell Williams: apple | spotify
Drake - SEARCH & RESCUE apple | spotify
And there will be a few more on The Update Weekly Playlist (apple | spotify)
Have a great Friday, and happy Resurrection weekend to all of you who celebrate.
